For the Reason of Temporary Insanity
by ShadowThorne
Summary: Ichigo was your typical college student; he was well liked by most of his teachers, he preferred cats to dogs, bright colors to dull, and men over women. But, like anyone else, he had his issue, in the form of a gang intent on making his life hell.
1. Ink and Assholes

**AN. this is my first fan fic AND my first yaoi story. Ive got the opening down (obviously) and an ending in mind but the body of the story is still under work so I cant really tell you where this will go or how long it will be.**

**Prologue**

Blackness. Vague sounds registered faintly in the background. Long minutes drew past, the steady sounds of high pitched yet quiet beeping and forced air drew him forward. Heavy darkness gave way to blinding white and confusion. Blinking, he tried to clear his vision and make sense of this bright world. The sound of his name being called over and over again slowly drew his attention. He let his head fall to the side. A brilliant blue smudge broke through the blinding, unending surface of white, indistinct, blurred, spectral.

"Gr...Grimm...?"

••••••••

**Chapter 1. Ink and Ass holes**

_A year ago._

Ichigo was your fairly typical college student; he got good grades, he was a star on the track team and was well liked by most of his teachers and loved by his small group of friends. He and his best friend had opted to rent an apartment together, off campus, which had been a small blessing in disguise. He preferred cats to dogs, bright colors to dull, men over women, and veggies over meat. He worked a part time job a few nights a week and on the weekends at a local club. His employer was odd, but cool and understanding. Over all, Ichigo couldn't really complain much.

But, like all people, some days were better than others. Today just had to be one of those days. He just had to take that short cut to get to work a little earlier and cross the street into Zabimaru territory.

"Fuck you!" Blood dribbled down his chin as he stumbled backward. The young man wiped it away with the back of his hand and his arms were caught and held behind him by an unseen man. He struggled and warred with the figure behind him, grunting with the effort. He had gotten used to this routine by now, the same thing happened all through out his young life, it was naive of him to think it would have changed when he left for college. It was his ridiculous, natural, orange hair in grade school, his sexual orientation in high school, and college was no better. The bullies were replaced by bigger and badder ones and the vicious cycle continued. He had been picked on from his very first day of school, and things had only gotten worse.

"No thanks, fag." The red headed bastard mumbled darkly, chuckling under his breath. He swung again, big fist connecting with Ichigos gut. The orange head bowed and gasped as the kid sagged, but the defiant look never left his eyes. He was notorious for his quick temper, he had to be hot tempered and tough or he would never make it in this world, a place that was slow to tolerance, no matter what it preached.

Ichigo struggled to catch his breath, a soft growl issuing from his throat. He only had one more year of college to survive, and with that thought, he lashed out. He slammed his head back, connecting with the asshole that had been holding him. The guy dropped, clutching his face, blood seeping between his fingers. Ichigo dipped into a defensive crouch, as the baboon of a man in front of him cursed. Using his years of martial arts training, Ichigo kicked Renjis legs out from under him. The red head crashed to the hard pavement, the air audibly leaving his lungs in a whoosh. Ichigo took his opportunity and ran, if it were a one on one fight, he would have no problem beating the crap out of his attackers, but Renji and his goons never fought fair. His legs pumped, propelling him as fast as he could go through an ally and around a corner, straight into another wall. Both men nearly fell to the ground, Ichigo righted himself and took off again, yelling a hurried apology over his shoulder to the man built like a statue. He barely had time to recognize who he had run into when nearly two hundred pounds of angry red ran around the corner. Giving it no more thought, Ichigo sped around another corner, out into the main street and ducked into the first building he came across.

Renji was the gangs leader and openly against gay and bi sexual people, anyone different by his standards, really. He had been trouble as soon as he had run into Ichigo half way through his freshman year of college. Ichigo had never tried to hide that he was into guys, he was by no means flamboyant, that just wasn't his style, but he didn't feel like he should hide either. Most people were either fine with it or avoided him. But not Renji. Renji made it his personal job to put Ichigo through hell at every chance. And he had muscle to back him.

He stood in place a few moments, back pressed against the solid wall next to the glass door, eyes shut and chest heaving. He hoped they hadn't seen him slide into the building. He let his head fall back against the wall, hearing Renji and his small mob race by, shouting obscene things and cursing Ichigo with everything they had. He slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.

A tall man with long, black hair pulled into the most manly ponytail Ichigo had ever seen sat hunched over another person, his one visible, violet colored eye staring at the orange head. The other was hidden by a black bandanna tied around his head and hair. The man actually managed to pull the look off somehow. He was incredibly thin and wiry, yet still well built and pretty intimidating. Intricate, swirling ink sleeved his right arm, starting at his wrist, and disappearing beneath his white wife-beater.

"Sup." The black haired man said, "You'll have to wait for the other artist, might be a few minutes till he gets back."

"Oh...s...sorry..." Ichigo mumbled, still regaining his lost breath, clutched at his bruising abdomen, he winced. "I'm, uh, just give me a minute and I'll leave..."

"Whatever." The lanky man said, shrugging and stepping on the foot petal, bringing the gun back to life.

The vibrating hum of the tattoo gun in the background, Ichigo stepped away from the wall and wandered around the small shop. It didn't look like much, but it was clean and the art work and pictures crowding the walls were beautiful and obviously done by skilled hands. The whole of the back wall had been painted to feature a huge, gorgeous black panther, crouched as if stalking toward the door sleek muscles seemed to ripple beneath its coat, its golden eyes so life like they made Ichigo shudder a little. The name and logo of the parlor rested a few feet above the cats head, just below the ceiling.

Ichigo marveled at the various styles in the place. Everything from creepy skulls to brilliant butterflies painted the canvases in bright and contrasting colors around the room. The orange head checked his watch. Damn, he was going to be late to work again because of his run in with that red monkey. He made his way back toward the door, pulling his cell out of the pocket of his tight black pants, hitting the speed dial for his employer, he held the phone to his ear.

"I'll be there soon Urahara, got stuck in traffic again" He lied and hung up the phone, brushing past a man in the door way as he quickly exited the tattoo parlor. He grumbled a quick "Sorry" and was gone.

••••••

The man that the orange haired kid had bumped into looked out the door after him, watching as the kid tentatively looked around before rushing away. Shrugging, he turned back to his fellow artist.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked, walking confidently toward the black haired young man, taking a seat against the wall, he watched his partner and long time friend work his magic into the clients skin. Nnoitra had been his closest friend for almost as long has either of them could remember. They had grown up in a shitty neighborhood, in an even shittier city, surrounded by gangs that would eat young children alive if given the chance. Grimmjows father had left his mother while she was pregnant, nothing but a mistake to the man, and Nnoitra had been the product of a hooker and an unknown father. After the blue haired child's mother had died, a story Grimmjow didn't like to talk about, he had been placed in an orphanage, the very same one Nnoitra had been sent to as soon as he was born. They had grown up like brothers and eventually both pursued an art career at a local college, deciding school really wasn't their thing, they had dropped out in favor of starting up their own tattoo parlor. Buying their first guns, they had done small inkings for cheap at the clients place of residence. Soon, they had been able to rent the small store front they were at now. Grind Ink had taken off and was a huge success, quickly gaining a reputation for quality work and young, hot artists. They made good money and loved every minute of it.

"Beats me. Ya find what you were lookin for?" Nnoitra answered, looking up from his work, stopping the hum of his gun. The man that may as well be his brother sat in his usual chair in all his glory. His long, lean legs clad in torn up, ink stained denim stretched in front of him. His devilish blue hair was gelled in its usual mess, a few stubborn strands falling over his brow. He had opted to leave his faded, blue and green leopard print button up shirt open, exposing a chiseled torso. Grimmjow was the only man Nnoitra had ever seen that could wear whatever the hell he wanted to and not look flaming gay. He shook his head at the thought, no one would have ever guessed. His friends smirk confirmed Nnoitras question. The smirk turned to an open grin, filled with sharp looking, white teeth as Grimmjow picked up a bag from the floor. Nnoitra rolled his eyes and went back to the almost finished tattoo he was working on.

Grimmjow fished through the bags contents, finding the sealed package, he pulled it from the plastic grocery bag. Grinning, he shook the package a little. Nnoitra rolled his eyes again and Grimmjow laughed, his voice deep. The man Nnoitra had been working on sat up and first looked down at his fresh tattoo, smirking in approval. These boys really had talent. The coyote that now graced his chest looked like it would jump out, all snarling teeth and bristled hackles, at any moment. Then he looked over to his blue haired tattoo artist and friend with questioning yet sleepy eyes. Grimmjow laughed again at the look and turned the package over, revealing the label, Jack Link's beef jerky. Not quite what the man had expected, but he was relieved just the same. They had all run into trouble together in their earlier years, no one needed a repeat of those days. He shrugged and stood up, looking into the full length mirror. "Thanks guys, looks great as always."

"Course it does!" Nnoitra cackled. He turned to Grimmjow, "You ganna give that to her already?" The client yawned and looked to the blue haired man, raising a questioning brow.

"My baby loves this shit!" Grimmjow proclaimed and shook the bag again, a little louder. A high pitched sound, somewhere between a chirp and a meow broke the silence and Grimmjows grin consumed his handsome face. "There she is" he rumbled as a cat the size of a medium dog came running around a corner and into the main lobby with grace only a feline could posses. The cat was a dark greyish, tan color with darker, almost black, exotic looking spots, its pointed black ears perked forward as Grimmjow spoke. Her blue eyes, almost an exact match in color to those of her owner, looking sharp and intelligent, were focused on the bag of beef jerky in the mans hand. The cat rubbed up against Grimmjows knees, butting its head against his thigh and purred, a rumbling sound that could have been a growl. He handed her a piece of the treat and patted her head. He smiled, stood and walked over to Nnoitra and Starrk. He inspected Nnoitras handiwork on Starrks tan chest. "Looks good Nnoi." He commented off handedly. "We're ganna close up shop and head to the bar, wanna join us, Starrk?"

The seemingly sleepy man seemed to contemplate, then shook his head slowly in the affirmative. "Why not, got nothin better to do." He glanced at the cat as it happily chewed its treat and stared back at him. "What ya ganna do with the cat?"

Grimmjow chuckled, "I'll drop her off at my apartment and meet you guys there." He grabbed a black leash off the front desk and walked to the cat, waving to his friends as they left. He attached it to the kitty's collar and walked out the door, locking it behind him. He lived only a short walk away and would sometimes bring Pantera to work with him. She enjoyed being out of the apartment and Grimmjow enjoyed the shocked stares he and his beast received, wasn't everyday the people around here got to see a sleek, nearly 30 pound cat walking on a leash.

It would only be a few minutes until he got home, where he would feed Pan then jump into his car and head across town to the club. His thoughts absently meandered to the orange haired guy that he had, quite literally, run into twice that day. He looked familiar, but Grimmjow couldn't place where he had seen the kid at. Poring food into Panteras bowl, he wandered at the reason the kid had been running and why he had decided to hide in his shop. Oh well. Shrugging, Grimmjow slid into the driver seat of his cobalt blue, tricked out '99 Nissan GT-R. He liked all types of art work, and this piece of machinery certainly qualified. He had found the car, scratched and wrecked, sitting in front of some old mans house with a for sale sign taped to the window. He had bought her for cheap and spent months fixing her up, inside and out. But now she looked and ran like new, with a beautiful metallic paint job, chrome rims, grill, door handles and chrome details. The windows were tinted nearly black and Grimmjows grin swallowed his face as he turned the key and listened to her purr to life. He cranked the stereo, Marilyn Mansons version of Tainted Love booming through the custom system as he pulled out of the drive way and screeched toward the club.

**AN. So, what do you guys think? Please give me some feed back, Im pretty new to writing and especially to this type of writing**. **Any reviews and types are welcome**


	2. Black and Blue

**AN. WOW! Thanks for all the comments, alert+ and favorites guys! I never imagined I would get such responses. Its very encouraging and much appreciated. After reading all the reviews and seeing how many people had read the first chapter, I just had to keep writing, so here you go! Chapter 2 of _For the Reason of Temporary Insanity_ is up! not sure how long chapter 3 will be tho  
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**Before you go any further, just know that I really do love ALL bleach characters, male and female ones. But I need bad guys and side characters, so nothing personal against any of them!  
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**Chapter 2. Black and Blue**

"Taichou!" Renji looked up at the call. "The strawberry's been spotted! Hes headed south but still in Zabimaru territory, sir."

"Fuck yeah!" the red head proclaimed, standing from his chair and rushing out the door. "Lets go have some fun boys!"

The bald headed man that had first spotted Ichigo led the small gang down a few side streets and allies, headed south, just like he had said. They weaved around buildings and took short cuts through narrow, winding paths. They spotted the little shit crossing a street into a much more crowded district from several meters away. Renji and his crew stalked up on the orange head like a pack wolves, laying in wait for the opportune moment. They would have to catch him down some back ally again if they didn't want anyone interfering with their business. They flared out to different positions, effectively surrounding their prey. This way, no matter which way he tried to flee, they would be ready. He wasn't going to get away again. Renji chuckled to himself, oh no, this little faggot wouldn't get away ever again.

They watched as Ichigo crossed another street, rounding a corner and into a parking lot. "Shit. That must be where hes headed." The red head grumbled to no one in particular. His second in command, a bad tempered, bald headed man named Ikkaku, huffed in irritation. He held a grudge against the berry for breaking his nose earlier that day. "Whys he goin in there? Club doesn't even open for another hour at least."

Renji glanced over at the man before heading towards his target again, a smile spreading across his face. "Must be wear he works. Know what time the place closes?"

Ikkaku shrugged. "Late I would guess." He replied to his commander.

Renji rolled his eyes and took a seat on a bench across the street from the club. He watched Ichigo enter the club without even looking back. The kid really must have been dense to not think that he might be followed.

••••••

Ichigo rushed through the clubs door, pulling on a little black vest, sporting the clubs logo on the back, over top his baby blue, silk button up shirt. He walked around the counter of the bar at the far end of the room, grabbing his name tag and club I.D.

"Sorry I'm late guys." He mumbled to his co-worker and the man that owned the club. The only two people that ever arrived as early as he usually did. He clocked in and got busy setting the place up and making sure it was clean and ready for the nights activities. It was a Friday night, the place was sure to be packed. The club functioned as any other bar during the day, but at night, lights went out, the DJ came out to play and the second floor was opened up.

Hueco Mundo was one of the hottest clubs around. The first floor boasted a large, extensive "U" shaped bar at the back of the large room and a raised stage off to the side of the entrance. The stage had curtains and lights for when they had shows, but when the shows were over, the stage was opened to the dancers. The side walls were lined with high backed booths and tables for sitting. The floor was a dark, polished wood. In the center of the room, a metallic pole ran up from the ground, through the ceiling and continued into the second floor of the club. The second floor had a tiered center stage with bars over head for the dancers to hold onto, the pole from the first floor planted firmly in the middle, made its way to the ceiling. The walls were crowded with sturdy boxes of different shapes and sizes, where people could sit, stand, dance on and whatever else they could come up with. The boxes housed speakers and subwoofers that made the room boom. The second story was darker and had a more electric atmosphere than the lower story, it was meant for the patrons to really let loose. The entire building had a kick ass sound system hooked up to a DJ box. The DJ box hung just below the ceiling of the first floor and was made of see through, yet sturdy, glass like material. The patrons of the second floor could look down into the small room from above, where the floor was made of the same clear material as the box. It had colored lights; purples, blues and greens that spilled into both floors.

"Oh my god! What happened?" Ichigos coworker and friend exclaimed, forcing the orange head from his thoughts with a wince. Shinji walked over to him and grabbed his face between his hands, frowning. His friends lip was split and Shinji could see where Ichigo had cleaned blood from his chin. He sported what was turning into a pretty bad black eye that had already swollen and purpled a little. Shinji turned his gold eyes back to Ichigos with concern.

"Its nothing, Shin, really. Just had a run in with the wrong guy on my way here. It's not as bad as it looks." Ichigo replied, forcing a small smile on his face, hoping to ease his friends worry. He just wanted to get through the night so the could go back to their shared apartment and he could sleep off the head ache that was slowly creeping up on him.

Shinji hesitated a moment, looking at his friend. He knew Ichigo was tough and he probably dished out just as much as he received, but that didn't stop him from worrying about the guy. A smile stretched across his face, "Alright! But ya have ta tell me what happened when we get home tanight." he said and threw his arms around Ichigos middle, hugging his best friend.

Ichigo hissed in pain at the added pressure to his abused abdomen and winced as Shinji slowly eased an arms length from him. He looked into the blonds eyes and gave a crooked smile. Shinji cocked his hip, hands resting there and raised an eye brow.

""Not as bad as it looks", huh?" He said, batting at Ichigos stomach with the back of his hand. When his stubborn friend grunted and flinched at the light contact, Shinjis face fell, mouth opening. "Oh man, Ichi! Let me see, are ya ok?" He grabbed the bottom of Ichigos shirt and vest and lifted them, revealing a big, black and blue welted bruise. "Geeze, Ichi! Who the hell did this? I'm ganna give that bitch a piece of my mind." Shinji exclaimed, stamping his foot and looking rather pissed. Shinji may have been petite and flamboyant, but Ichigo knew he could hold his own when the need arose, and Shinji usually qualified one of his close friends being hurt as need. He shook his head a little, he could always count on his blond friend.

"Please, Shin, we can talk about it later, ok?" the berry pressed, pulling his shirt back down and tucking it in before straightening his vest. Shinji shot him a "you better spill it" look, but let the topic rest. The club would be opening soon and the rest of the workers were starting to show up.

Zaraki Kenpachi, a beast of a man, his hair gelled back in sadistic looking spikes, walked through the door, his broad frame nearly filling the door way. Kenpachi was the bouncer of Hueco Mundo, he wore his usual dark jeans and white cut off t-shirt that sported the club logo on the back. Black, steel toed boots covered his feet and his customary black eye patch covered his right eye. No man in their right mind would start trouble with Kenpachi around.

The clubs DJ, Shuhei Hisagi, followed behind the bouncer. His short black hair was spiked up and his eyes were serious. He was a quiet man, but it was obvious that he loved what he did and loved his music. The club had had a handful of DJs in the past, but none had lived up to Uraharas standards, until Shuhei arrived. Hisagi was currently wearing a pair of tight, dark jeans, faded to grey down the front of his legs, the bottoms were tucked into a pair of high black boots that buckled down their entire length. His shirt was a black, see through mesh, showing off his toned abdomen and tattooed upper arms. The look was completed with a black, leather studded belt. While in the Box, he would be wearing a pair of glasses that held small LED lights on either side of his face, they were non prescription, only meant to allow him to see what he was mixing without the need to hold a flashlight. And they really didn't look too bad on him either.

"Kurosaki. Hirako." Shuhei nodded to the two boys as he made his way to the small, hidden stair case that would bring him into the DJ box.

Shinji giggled, making Ichigo roll his eyes at the blond. They busied themselves with cleaning up the bar and making sure everything was stocked while they waited for the clock to strike midnight and the club to open its doors.

••••••

_**Once I ran to you. (I ran) **_

_**Now I'll run from you. **_

_**This tainted love you've given; **_

_**I give you all a boy could give you. **_

_**Take my tears and that's not nearly all.**_

_**Tainted love.**_

_**Tainted love**__._

Grimmjow slowed and entered the parking lot of Hueco Mundo, base thumping through the speakers of his GT-R. Damn did this song sound good in this car with its heavy, yet fast paced bass beat. It was about twelve thirty in the morning, the place had been open for about a half hour and already people were waiting in a line to get into the busy club. He drove toward the front of the lot, looking for a worthy space to park his car. People moved out of his way as they stared at the sexy vehicle poring that bad ass bass out into the crowd. Grimmjow grinned from behind the tinted windows, of course, no one could see him, but he loved the attention any way.

_**Don't touch me please, **_

_**I cannot stand the way you tease. **_

_**I love you though you hurt me, so **_

_**now I'm going to pack my things and go.**_

_**Touch me baby; tainted love. **_

_**Touch me baby; tainted love.**_

_**Touch me baby; tainted love.**_

A few feet away from the entrance, Nnoitra, Starrk and another friend leaned against the building. Nnoitra leered, revealing piano key teeth when he heard the unmistakable sound of Grimmjows music drifting to them from the parking lot beyond. "Grimms here." He announced, flicking his cigarette into the dirt, shoving his hands into the pockets of his almost to tight, faded jeans and pushing away from the wall. He went in search of his blue haired, maniac of a friend, following the music until he could see Grimmjows car. The other two men followed behind him, it was impossible to loose track of Nnoitra, even in this crowd. He stood at least a full head above everyone else at giant seven feet.

"Damn, Grimm! She looks great!" Nnoitra exclaimed, taking in the sight of Grimmjows newly restored ride. He had finished the car about a week ago, but Nnoitra had yet to see it. Grimmjow stood, leaning against the blue car next to the open drivers door, letting the song finish. His grin consumed his handsome face as his friends and a few strangers stood, admiring his baby. The song came to an end and the bluenette turned around, shutting her off and locking the doors before pushing away from the car and walking with his friends toward the entrance.

"Ulqui! Hows it goin?" Grimmjow said, clapping a tanned hand on his smaller, pale friends shoulder. "Havn't seen you in forever!" Nnoitra and Grimmjow had run into Ulquiorra a few years ago. He had been suffering a knife wound to the gut from a target while he was supposedly on a job. They had found him slumped in an alley down the street from where they were living at the time, bleeding out, yet unwilling to call for help or go to the hospital. Failure was not an option for this man. Nnoi and Grimm had half carried, half dragged the smaller, wounded male to their apartment where they fixed him up and let him recover. In his short stay they had become fast friends and learned a lot about Ulquiorra, including his shady profession. He had adamantly told them they would be killed if they spoke and someone found out they knew he was a hit man for the largest agency in Japan. Espada had become so large and infamous that it ceased being a gang, the government hired them for their services and payed well. And Ulquiorra was one of the top assassins.

"Yes, Nnoitra texted me, requesting that I join you." The pale man replied in a quiet, even tone. That was something Nnoitra and Grimmjow had learned early. Ulquiorra wasn't really as disinterested as he seemed, he was just very stoic in appearance, rarely showing anything more than his customary straight and bored expression. They figured it probably came with the profession.

"How long you been back in town?" Grimmjows silky baritone asked as they walked through the precipice and immersed them selves into the music and moving bodies.

"I arrived last night." Came Ulquiorras reply.

Grimmjow nodded and smiled down at him. Then began making his way toward the bar, his little group following behind him for the time being. Eventually they would probably split up and do their own thing, but they always had at least one drink together, as friends, before dumping each other.

The crowd of bodies parted for the group as they sauntered by. Women and men alike pointed and whispered to those around them. Nnoitra and Grimmjow were beginning to gain quite the reputation for their tattoo artistry and were something of local celebrities in ink world around them. It was hard to miss the two men, as they both sported a swirling, intricate sleeve of ink; Grimmjows left arm, and Nnoitras right. Nnoitras towering build and Grimmjows crazy, rumored natural blue hair making them stand apart even further from the typical crowd.

A fair skinned, blond bomb shell of a woman ran up to the blue haired man that was at the point of the group. She attached herself to his arm, causing jealous and heated whispers to spread through out the other women near by. He looked down at her, curling his lip a little and raised one of his blue brows.

"You did work on me a few months ago! Remember? My names Rangiku!" She said, giggling as the handsome man at her said stared down at her, thinking he was probably staring down her shirt at her ridiculous breasts.

Grimmjow pulled to an abrupt stop, he was fine with dealing with bimbos when he was doing work on them. They payed him to sit there and stab them with needles repeatedly while they flirted and giggled with him. He could even pretend to be interested when in the setting of his studio, for professional interests. But here... nope. He was here to be himself, to have fun and chill with the guys, to drink and dance and maybe even pick up a tasty treat to take back to his place for the night. Grimm did have to admit, if he were into women, she would have been ripe for the picking, she had a killer body and was probably to dense to get upset with a one night stand. But he just couldn't do it. Not his cup of tea.

Grimmjow looked back at his friends, obviously hoping for assistance, they all knew his tastes in partners. Starrk gave a lazy smirk to the pleading look. Nnoitra, strands of his silky black hair falling into his face, looked to be about in tears, desperately trying to hold back his laughter.

The bluenette turned back to the woman that was currently trying to cut the circulation off to his arm. "Uhh... Look, sweetheart..." the girl giggled at the pet name. "You seem like a really nice girl..." Grimmjow struggled to free his arm a bit. "but your really more of their type..." He said, gently trying to push the woman in Nnoi and Starrks direction. It was common knowledge that Starrk was streight as a board, and Nnoitra had been known to bat at both sides of the plate, he was sure either one would be willing to take her off his hands. Nnoitra burst into a fit of laughter. Cackling like a hyena, he doubled over in his mirth at his closest friends predicament. Even the ever stoic Ulquiorra managed a small tilt of his lips. Grimmjow drew his brows together in frustration and annoyance, if looks could kill...

The woman stared from the tall, lanky fellow, who she was pretty sure was Grimmjows partner at Grind Ink, Nnoitra, to Grimmjow himself, then over at the two other men and back again, confusion evident on her fair features. "What? Are you not into beautiful women?" She husked in an amused, teasing tone, thinking they were all laughing at some inside joke she desperately wanted to be a part of.

"Precisely." The bluenette growled under his breath, pulling his arm away from the woman's death grip. He grabbed her by the shoulders, scooted her out of his way and walked past her, headed for the bar. She stood stone still for a second, then turned to look after the devilishly handsome man. Her face fell, her mouth working a few times as the others walked past her and she was left behind. Nnoitra laughed his ass off the whole walk to the bar, slapping Grimmjow on the back.

"Smooth, Grimm" Starrk commented, taking a seat next to the now slightly irritated man. He called out to the bar tender, a flamboyant young man with short, chin length, blond hair.

"What'll it be, boys?" The kid asked in a smooth voice, letting his eyes wander over Starrks companion and his choice of revealing clothing. He winked at Grimmjow, then looked back to Starrk.

"Whiskey for me and a Blue for him." Starrk said, nodding toward his blue haired buddy. The bar tender smirked at the choice in drinks. He walked away, returning shortly with the requested whiskey.

"Ichi'll make the Blue, hes better at mixed drinks like that, it'll be over in a sec." The blond said and wandered to the next patron to sit at the bar.

••••••

Ichigo pushed the sleeves of his silken dress shirt up past his elbows. He and Shinji had been mixing drinks and tending the bar for a couple of hours now. Shinji manned one side while Ichigo the other. "Shu's puttin on a good show tonight." He commented to a random patron. The guy was watching Shuhei where he stood in the DJ box, mixing and selecting the tracks for the night's entertainment as he bobbed to the music coming through his headphones. His fingers danced across the table at blurring speeds and the colored lights emitting from the glass box seemed to sway and dance to the beat right along with Hisagi himself.

Ichigo grabbed a glass down from a rack, wiping it inside and out as Shinji came over and placed a request for a man sitting on his side of the bar. Shinji didn't really enjoy making the mixed drinks, he liked the colors and tastes, but he had trouble remembering the ingredients at the beck and call of a customer. Where as Ichigo had everything on the menu memorized and could fly through the ingredients without a second thought.

The order had been for a Blue Motherfucker, Ichigos personal favorite and specialty. He had customized the mix a little, adding a little something special that had made his Blues a favorite among the clubs regulars. He smiled as he mixed the potent beverage, he topped it off with a bright green lime on the rim of the glass, the electric blue of the drink and neon green of the fruit complimented each other perfectly, making the drink stand out from all others. "Heres that Blue, Shin." He shouted over the crowd. Shinji pointed toward the middle of the bar and said hed be able to guess which guy had ordered it while the blond continued flirting with one of the men dancing near by.

Ichigo shrugged and walked in the direction his friend had pointed. He quickly spotted a lazy looking man with medium length brown hair sitting next to another man that had his head turned away from Ichigo, scanning the sea of moving bodies. The guy had bright ass blue hair... that had to be him. As Ichigo made his way toward the bluenette, he couldn't help but admire the man. The orange head judged him to be at least six feet of sleek, perfectly toned muscle. The man wore a light colored half jacket that wasn't even long enough to reach his navel, the sleeves were three quarter and stopped half way between his elbows and wrists, ending in black cuffs, its black collar was unfolded and stood up against his thick neck. The jacket was left open to reveal smooth, sun-kissed skin covering the various planes of his chest and abs. Ichigo could see where some sort of swirling pattern of ink began at the sternum and reached across his chest and under the jacket sleeve to continue down his left arm to the wrist. The mans legs were hugged in all the right places by a pair of fitted, black jeans. Damn.

Ichigo ghosted his lips with his tongue and swallowed, approaching the men at the bar. "Blue Motherfucker?" he asked over the music. The brown haired male nodded and pointed to his blue haired companion who finally turned to face the bar tender. Ichigo froze, lost in the swirling depths of his sea blue eyes. He couldn't help but think this guys face was just a fun to look at as his body. A slow, shit eating grin stretched across the mans face and Ichigo had to fight to pull his attention back to earth. Just... Damn.

"Knew you looked familiar!" The guy exclaimed, planting his palms on the counter with a thud. He threw his head back and let out a burst of laughter as Ichigo jumped. The guy took a sip of his new drink. "Thats some good shit" he complimented.

"Thanks" Ichigo mumbled as he began to recognize the living statue sitting in front of him. "Sorry about earlier..." Ichigo said, averting his eyes and reaching up to rub the back of his neck. He winced at the stretching sensation in the muscles of his abdomen and dropped his arm back to his side, letting his breath hiss quietly between his teeth in a sharp intake.

"S' ok" the gorgeous bluenette said, smile still plastering his handsome features. He arched a brow, perfectly matching the color of his hair, Ichigo noted, pointed a finger at Ichigos face, gesticulating a bit. "that why you were runnin so fast and hidin in my parlor?"

The boy winced again and a slight, red blush crept onto his face. Cute, Grimmjow thought. For a second he wandered if the kid was old enough, it donned on him that the berry was bar tending so he had to be at least 21. He mentally slapped himself for his stupidity, then brought his attention back to the young man in front of him.

"Yeah, but it wasn't really a big deal." the smaller man answered, something like anger crossed his features before being quickly replaced with a sheepish smirk.

Grimmjow casually leaned forward from his bar stool, resting his elbows on the counter and sipped his Blue again. "What's yer name?" he practically purred across the space. He saw the orange haired man shiver a little. Good, he thought to himself. He looked over to Starrk who sat quietly, looking tired and smirked at his friend. Starrk took the hint and ordered another whiskey before leaving the bar area to find Nnoitra and Ulquiorra.

The young, still nameless man grabbed his blond buddy, pulling him close and whispered something in his ear. The blond looked at Grimmjow, then back to the orange haired bar tender. A grin eerily similar to Nnoitras split blondies face in half and he nodded fervently before crossing to the other side of space behind the counter, he threw a wink in Grimmjows direction over his shoulder. The young bar tender returned, his face even redder than before.

Grimmjow smirked again. "Sooo... you got a name yet?" He asked the blushing berry.

The kid swallowed and nodded his head once. "Ichigo. And you would be...?" he trailed off, trying not to sound like a little teenage girl.

"Hmm... Ichigo.." the handsome man rolled the name around slowly, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. Perfect. "The names Grimmjow." He said with that sinful smirk.

**AN. Reviews and comments are much appreciated and welcomed, I want to know what everyone thinks so i know if Im headed in a decent direction. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Pride and Prejudice

**AN: Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, Favorited, etc. Thanks guys! And thank you to Nikotehfox for the tip, thanks for pointing that out to me, I was sure to go through this chapter and fix it before up loading ^^  
>Also, there were a few comments about Grimm's cat, so I figured you guys might be interested in what type Pantera is. She is a Savanna, its a breed of large domestic cat. The average weight is around 20 pounds and they are usually a tanish color with gold eyes. But everything about Grimmjow is bigger and better so his cat had to be too<strong>

**Chapter 3. Pride and Prejudice**

It was finally closing time. Ichigo looked forward to getting back to his apartment and climbing into bed. He and Shinji usually took turns staying to clean and close down the club, tonight was Ichigo's turn and so his blond friend and the rest of the staff had left when the doors were locked. It didn't take Ichigo long to clean up, about an hour. As he removed his club ID and vest, he couldn't help the smile that graced his face.

He and the blue haired man, Grimmjow, had really hit it off. Eventually, his friends had come to retrieve the buzzed Grimmjow and take him home so he could sleep off the alcohol. He probably would have been ok to drive, Ichigo thought, but he was glad Grimmjow and his friends had been responsible. As Ichigo had cashed out a different customer, the blue haired hotty had counted out his tab and set it on the counter, calling out a fair well to his bar tender. Ichigo had gone over and grabbed the money from the counter. Paying the tab and pocketing the few extra bills that had been left as a tip. Separating the tab money from the tip money had been a napkin. Ichigo laughed to himself at the thought. Grimmjow had scrawled his number on the paper in simple blue, ball point ink. It was kind of juvenile, but somehow sweet and perfect all the same.

The orange haired young man typed the number in his phone, meaning to save it to his contacts list. He paused to lock the door, number displayed on the screen.

"'Bout time you come out and play, strawberry." Ichigo went rigid, eyes wide as he slowly turned toward the source of the deep voice. Renji stood just out of reach of the light above the door to the club, casting dark shadows over his face, but there was no mistaking it. The red head had come back to pick up where they had left off. Ichigo let his eyes travel past the Zabimaru leader. At least a half dozen of Renji's cronies were waiting in the dark behind their leader. He tried to stay calm, but internally he was panicking.

"What do you want, Renji?" He heard the red head chuckle again. "You wanna fight? Fine. Why don't you send your mutts home and fight me one on one?" Ichigo knew it wouldn't work, even if the red baboon would agree, the instant he started loosing, his gang would be there to back him up.

"I don't wanna fight you, ya little faggot. I want to beat the shit out a you." Renjis sadistic smile ate his face as Ichigo pressed his back to the building. Oh, how fun this would be.

Ichigo dropped his phone and went into a defensive crouch. If they were going to take him down, he wasn't going to make it easy for them. He was determined to take at least a few of them down with him. A man shot out of the dark from his right, attempting to tackle the orange head. Ichigo side stepped, letting his fist fly into the man's rib cage as he stumbled by. He could hear the guy's grunt as he turned back toward Renji.

Renji came at him, attempting a devastating punch to his abdomen, but Ichigo managed to block it, deflecting most of the power with his arms. Renji backed away a few steps, drawing Ichigo forward, just barely out of hitting range from the red head. Another man came in from the side and suddenly Ichigo was surrounded, using all of his martial arts training and a few dirty tactics as well, he managed to fight them off for a short while. He sent men falling backwards with bloody faces and at least one broken arm. He had heard the snap of bone and the punk's pained scream.

But he was severely out numbered. Someone managed get a hold of his arms, forcing them behind his back. Ichigo struggled and yelled, kicking and thrashing, trying to break free of the grip. He managed to get one arm away but another one of Renji's goons grabbed him again. The gang leader finally showed himself again, smiling to Ichigo. He calmly walked up to the orange haired man, kneeing him in the gut with devastating force.

Ichigo sagged as the air was forced out of his lungs. He gagged and coughed, trying to regain his breath as the goons holding his arms kept him from falling to the ground. "Why are you doing this, Renji!" Ichigo half yelled, half gasped at the red head. Renji sent another knee into Ichigo's face as an answer, snapping his head up and smearing blood across his already bruised face. The stars were beginning to clear from his vision when he heard Renji's voice tell his men to drop him. They tossed his limp form out in front of them, between themselves and their leader.

Ichigo fell to his knees at the loss of support. But, stumbling, he tried to right himself again. They let him stumble a few feet away before knocking him to the ground again. He looked around, desperate for something he could use as a weapon against his attackers. Something shinny caught his attention; his phone. It was only a few feet away. He reached for it from his position on his stomach. He managed to get his hand over it when a big, booted foot stomped down on his hand and wrist. Screaming in pain, Ichigo hugged his arm to him, trying to get up again. But Renji wouldn't allow it.

The red head sent a running, soccer style kick into Ichigo's rib cage. Ichigo cried out at the impact, his body rolling up against the solid wall of the club. Renji's gang cheered in the background. The orange haired man tried to curl up and protect as much of himself against the onslaught of blows.

••••••

From somewhere across the dark room, a phone started blaring obnoxiously loud.

_**And when we were good**_

_**You just closed your eyes**_

_**So when we're bad**_

_**We'll scar your mind**_

_**Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!**_

Nnoitra stirred, throwing a pillow across the living room at his blue haired friend currently passed out on the other couch. "Grimm... get yer damn phone." he grunted out, not wanting to wake up. The pillow hit Grimmjow in the stomach, bouncing to the floor. Pantera, Grimmjows savanna cat, lifted her head from her curled position at her owners feet to stare at Nnoitra, she yawned and continued to stare. The bluenette frowned a little in his sleep but made no move to wake up.

_**Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!**_

_**You'll never grow up to be a big rock star**_

_**Celebrated victim of your fame**_

_**Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons**_

_**And say that "death was on sale today"**_

"Dammit." Nnoitra grumbled some more, getting up and grabbing the phone off the end table above Grimmjows head. He opened it up and bit out a quick, "What the hell do ya want?" No one replied. He held the phone to his ear for a second, still nothing. Shrugging, he was about to hang up when he heard a scream from the other end. "What the fuck?" He checked the caller ID, no one that was programmed into his sleeping friends phone. He grunted, what a surprise. He placed the phone back to his ear, curious. He could hear scuffling and what sounded like groaning, or something like it, he really wasn't sure.

"Yo, Grimm, wake up." He said, phone still attached to his ear, he nudged Grimmjow. The blue haired man made a sound but still didn't wake up. "Grimmjow! Wake the FUCK up!" Nnoitra yell at his friend. Grimmjow woke up, sitting up so fast he fell from the couch.

"Jesus, Nnoi, what the hell." A sleepy, slightly confused and slightly hung over Grimmjow mumbled, rubbing at his face. His lanky best friend, who had driven Grimm to his place from the club, pushed the phone to the side of his face.

"Listen." Was all the man offered. Grimmjow took the phone listening to the other end. It took him a minute to notice anything. "What the fuck?"

"Whoever it is, they called you." Nnoitra shrugged, "Sounds like someones gettin tha shit beat outta them."

Someone cursed on the other end of the phone, followed by a yell loud enough for Nnoitra to hear too. Nnoitra watched as his best friends face scrunched up, then his eyes went wide.

"Ichigo?" He said. "That sounded like Ichigo!" The blue haired man jumped up, instantly awake, and took off toward his front door, phone still to his ear. Nnoitra close behind, now fully awake as well at his friends odd reactions.

"Who the hells Ichigo?" He wondered. Grimmjow was already out the door. "Yo! Yer cat followed ya!" He yelled after the man. The bluenette didn't seem to care much, or even notice.

"What time'd the club close?" He asked, opening the door to his car. Pantera jumped in and climbed to the back seat.

"Uhhh, 'bout an hour ago, maybe?" Nnoitra said, climbing into the passenger side. Pan stared at him through the rear view mirror, head tilted slightly, a curious gleam in her eyes. Nnoi shivered, that animal gave him the creeps sometimes.

Grimmjow didn't even bother responding. He squealed tires pulling out of the drive and headed toward Hueco Mundo, taking the turns way to fast for Nnoitra's comfort and running a few red lights in the process. He wouldn't be surprised if Grimmjow killed himself in this car someday.

••••••

Renji heard the squeal of tires from where he crouched over the unmoving form of his victim. He slowly stood up, feet on either side of Ichigo's waist, and watched the car screech to a halt just a few meters away. He shook some of the blood off his fists as he walked a few feet toward the car, not sure what to expect. His crew grouped up around him and watched as the doors to the gorgeous blue car opened.

A well built, shirtless man stepped out of the drivers seat, he didn't even bother to close the door as he took in the scene. From the other side of the car, Renji saw a freakishly tall guy tower over the small vehicle. How had he even fit in that thing?

"These guys look like they could be trouble..." one of Renjis men whispered from behind him. The leader fully agreed as he sized up the two unwanted visitors. The blue haired guy who had been driving stood there, staring from the limp form on the ground, to Renji, and back again. He looked like he might explode at any minute, and from the man's build, which was very visible, as the only thing he wore was a pair of white gym shorts and white Nike shoes, he probably knew a thing or two about fighting. The man's toned, muscled body twitched under his tanned skin from rage.

The other one, a tall, lanky son of a bitch, was also well built and looked like he could throw a few good punches. He slowly made his way around the car and placed his hand on the shorter man's shoulder for a brief second. He wore only a pair of wrinkled, black jeans and black boots, his long black hair unbound and falling over his shoulders.

Both of the two new arrivals were inked up and looked intimidating. Blue eyes settled on Renji and the red head saw wild, animalistic fury unlike anything he had ever seen before, dance in their depths. "Fuck" he whispered under his breath. A small smirk appeared as he formulated his plan. "Get 'em." He sicked his crew on the men in an even tone. The gang leapt to action and Renji turned toward the gay kid he had been beating, thinking to get one more good shot at him before high tailing it out of there. He would let his guys create a diversion for his escape.

He turned to see a small monster of a wild looking cat sitting next the body on the ground. It was currently licking a fore paw while its sharp eyes followed his movements. He approached the unconscience kid, still intent on getting one last shot. He could here the two big men demolishing his crew behind him. As he neared, the cat stopped its grooming, looking him in the face and issued a low, grumbling growl. Alright, so maybe he would by pass kicking the kid on his way. Renji wasn't stupid enough to get mauled by thirty pounds of sharp claws and big teeth. He took off into the night just as he heard what remained of his crew begin to retreat.

••••••

Grimmjow slammed on the brakes as he neared the group of people in the parking lot, the supped up GT-R skidded and stopped. He could hear Nnoitra in the passenger seat breath out a low "fuck" at the sight before them. A group of men, it had to be some gang, were circled around another, slightly larger man. The red headed guy in the middle was slowly standing from a body he had been hitting. The man had tribal tattoos above his eyes, leading down his neck to disappear below the collar of his blood stained shirt. He must have been the gangs leader. He shook his hands a bit and blood pattered onto the concrete below him.

Grimmjow opened his door and stepped out, eyes on the victim he knew to be Ichigo. Nnoitra exited the car at the same time and he vaguely heard the bell on Pans collar jingle as she moved toward the passenger door.

The group slowly formed up around their leader as he stood, staring at Grimmjow and Nnoitra. The two men could practically smell the fight brewing. Grimm felt Nnoitra's big hand lightly touch his shoulder, letting him know his friend had his back.

The leader of the gang gave a quiet call, "Get 'em." and turned around. The now thoroughly enraged, bluenette lost track of the man as his crew came rushing in. He saw Pantera in his peripheral, stalking the shadows toward Ichigo. He continued pummeling the bodies of those who didn't try to run away. He took some of his anger out on the gang members, but he had to be quick. He had to get to Ichigo. One unfortunate guy got punched in the face by Grimmjow, he stumbled backwards and ran straight into Nnoitra, who finished the job. They were a deadly duo that the gang of thugs quickly decided wasn't worth the trouble.

Nnoitra heard his friends cat issue a growl, his head snapped up in time to see her hovering over the body and the red head fleeing into the night. The crowd around them thinned as everyone not already on the ground turned tail and scattered. Nnoitra dished out one last blow as he watched his friend sprint toward the body on the ground. Nnoitra made his way to his friends side, stepping over an injured and passed out man as he went.

The boy lay twisted on his back, his once baby blue, silk shirt was shredded, revealing a battered and torn torso. It also showed Grimmjow that his chest still rose and fell at uneven intervals. He was alive, they had arrived in time. He leaned forward a bit, he could hear the wet gurgle that was Ichigo's labored breathing.

"Oh god... Ichigo?" Grimmjow said in a soft, slightly broken voice, he crouched beside the boy, unsure of what to do. Nnoitra had only ever seen the man act like this a handful of times in all the years they had known each other. The last time was a few years back, when Grimmjow had found Pan as a tiny, scrawny and very sickly little kitten with bright blue eyes. He had always been a cat lover and seeing the kitten literally be kicked from some guys speeding car and land in the street... Nnoitra thought his friend was going to burst into tears and hunt the man down all at the same time.

This Ichigo guy must have been important to his friend, really important, and so he was important to Nnoitra.

Cuts and welts marred the pale flesh of most of his visible body. His face was already swollen and purple on one side, he probably wouldn't be able to open that eye for a while. Grimmjow took what was left of Ichigo's shirt and tore it into strips, using it to tie around some of the worst cuts that still bled. He looked up at Nnoi, "you're driving." he said. Then gingerly scooped the limp body in his arms and stood. He slowly made his way toward the car and Nnoitra helped him climb into the backseat with the boy before gently shutting the passenger door. Pan jumped in through the driver's door and landed in the passenger seat, looking behind her at her owner. Grimmjow reached out a hand to pat her head. "Thanks baby" he whispered to her.

Nnoitra climbed into the driver seat and backed out of the parking lot. He drove as fast as he could while still taking the turns easy for the boys sake, toward Grimm's apartment.

Nnoitra pulled the car into the drive way, parking as close to the building as he could. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car, walking around and opening the passenger side. Grimmjow started to lift the young man out of his lap but hesitated has the kid groaned a little and began to stir at the movement. They both stared down at him. The orange heads eyes fluttered open slowly, revealing their warm brown color.

••••••

Ichigo stared at the ceiling of a car for a few moments before sliding his gaze toward the face hovering in front of him. He stared, trying to focus his fuzzy vision, the edges seemed to swim and fade. His eyes were so heavy, everything was heavy. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. Or attacked by a mob. He frowned a little, trying to remember what had happened. Even his thoughts felt heavy. He vaguely thought about how warm the body against his felt before allowing his eyes to close and blackness to swallow him again.

••••••

Grimmjow and Nnoitra watched the berry stare up at the blue haired man, a frown marred his brow and his body started to go limp again before he passed out in Grimmjow's arms. They resumed their efforts, being as gentle as possible with the injured man. Grimmjow passed the limp body to Nnoi as he climbed out of his car, Pantera following behind him. They made their way into the apartment.

Grimmjow ran to his room and grabbed a spare set of sheets, blankets and a box that contained his cleaning agents for tattoos. He made his way back to the front of the apartment and quickly threw the sheets over one of the couches in his living room. Nnoitra settled the boy on the couch, careful to let him down gently and not twist or turn his head too much. They didn't know what kind of damage had been done yet. Grimmjow grabbed a pillow, propping his head up, they adjusted his body so it was laying flat and stretched out on the couch.

Nnoitra grabbed his cell and dialed a quick number, Ulquiorra had a wider knowledge base for this type of situation, what with him being an assassin and all. By this point, the sun had begun to rise and he was sure he would be able to get ahold of the man. After a quick few words, Nnoitra closed his phone and looked to his friend. Grimmjow was busy cleaning away some of the blood with rubbing alcohol. If there was one thing they did know to do, it was clean the kid up. They had to do it all the time when they tattooed people. Most of the time there was no blood, but occasionally they ran across someone that would bleed like mad and they would have to clean it and sanitize the new tattoo really well for the customer.

Grimmjow was currently donning a pair of the rubber gloves they used to do tattoo work. He used cotton swabs and some lotionless tissues to wipe away all the blood and dirt from the boys body, while he cleaned and sanitized his cuts and gashes. Not surprised that his friend had a small collection of everything needed for tattoos, including a gun, at his place, Nnoitra slowly sat down on the floor next to him.

Grimmjow glanced at his friend, who sat indian style, his long legs folded under him. "Called Uliqui, he's on his way." Grimmjow nodded, grateful for Nnoitras help and silent support. The black haired man may have been a tough bastard to most people, but he had always been a brother to Grimmjow. He continued his ministrations to the young man he had found himself falling for just last night, hoping all would be ok.

The lanky man got to his feet. "Come 'ere." He said, making his way to sit on the other couch that faced the one the injured kid was laying on. "Not much else we can do for 'im till Ulqui gets here. Might as well try to rest a little. Ya look like shit." Nnoitra watched his buddy get off the floor, sighing and rolling his eyes at that last comment. Nnoitra chuckled a little as Grimmjow sat down heavily on the couch next to him. He leaned back, head resting on the wall behind the back of the couch that was made for people of average heights. He was about to make another wise crack, but the sight that met him when he reopened his eyes made him shut his mouth. Grimmjow sat on the edge of the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His head was lowered and his face was in his hands. He couldn't be sure, but he thought the man might have been crying. "Damn, Grimm..." Nnoitra whispered. "You just met him last night..."

"I know." Grimmjow's reply was soft, he didn't move as he spoke.

"And yer already this attached to the kid?"

Grimmjow nodded, not trusting himself to speak, his face never leaving his hands. They sat in silence, unmoving as they waiting for Ulquiorra to show up.

••••••

Ulquiorra was up at dawn, as was his custom. He walked out into the main room of his small, tidy apartment, grabbing his ringing phone along the way. He was surprised to see Nnoitra's name on the screen at this hour, he placed the phone to his ear "Yes, Jiruga?" He then nudged a snoozing Starrk awake. He had offered to let the bigger man crash on his couch when he found out just how many whiskeys he had consumed that night. Starrk yawned and gave Ulquiorra a questioning look as he listened to his half of the phone conversation.

"When was this?" Ulquiorra paused, listening to Nnoitra's reply, a small downward tilt to his black and white lips. Starrk found himself wishing he could hear the other end of the conversation.

"Yes, I understand. He still lives at the same address, correct?" He paused briefly. "We will be there in approximately ten minutes." With that, he hung up the phone and began putting shoes on. He hurried to a spare room that he had converted into his own personal weaponry, unlocking the door with a key pad mounted next to the frame, he stepped inside. Starrk could here some shuffling, then the pale man exited the room with a small, black bag. He hurried toward the door, Starrk followed him out into the crisp morning air.

Starrk yawned from the passenger seat of Ulquiorras sleek, black '69 Corvette Stingray. The car had thin, twin green racing stripes painted down the hood from the windshield, making Starrk think of the initiation tattoos Ulquiorra had running down his cheeks. "So, where we goin?" He asked the pale driver.

"Grimmjow's. There has been an emergency requiring my attention." He said, large, green eyes focused ahead on the road.

Starrk hesitated, then shot a questioning look at Ulquiorra. "What's in the bag?" His deep voice questioned.

"Supplies. They require my medical knowledge." Starrk stiffened at the answer.

"Are Nnoi and Grimm ok? Did something happen to them?" Starrk's normally sleepy eyes were opened wide as he stared ahead, at the road.

"They are unharmed. An... acquaintance of Grimmjow's is in need, I am told he is distraught. Apparently we should brace ourselves for the unexpected." Starrk relaxed a little at Ulquiorra's words. The car pulled into the drive, parking behind Grimmjow's GT-R. Ulquiorra and Starrk hurried to the door. It was opened for them as they reached the top of the short stair case.

Ulquiorra looked up and nodded to the towering Nnoitra, a little surprised that he had answered Grimmjow's door. He paused and cocked his head to the side a little at the sight of the man who had helped save his life many years ago, before they became friends.

Grimmjow had yet to move from his position on the couch. He sat there, head still in his hands when Ulquiorra and Starrk arrived. This was not what Ulquiorra had expected. He would have expected anger, fury even, directed at the men who had done this. Grimmjow was always hot headed, and had a fiery temper. Ulqui couldn't count how many times he had seen his big friend hit first and talk later. He wasn't the type to sit back and... well, be upset.

Ulquiorra moved from his position in the door way, making his way to the injured man's side. Nnoitra quietly closed the door behind the two men and walked over to sit next to Grimm. Starrk took a seat next to Nnoi and yawned. "Hey, isn't that the bar tender from the club last night, the one you were flirting with?" Starrk asked looking to his blue haired friend, after recognizing the bright orange hair.

Grimmjow finally seemed to wake from his state of silence, he stood up and crossed the room, kneeling next to the other couch along side his pale friend. He allowed his vision to take in the body of the boy he was beginning to think he was in love with.

"You have done well to clean him up for me before I arrived." Ulquiorra peered at the boy, inspecting his superficial cuts and bruises before reaching into his bag and pulling out a few supplies he thought he might need. He slowly began pressing at Ichigos stomach with his slender hands. Seeing Grimmjow look concerned as he studied Ulquiorra's movements, he decided to elaborate and explain to his larger friend what he was doing. "I am checking the extent of his bruising and the placement of his organs. This will give me an idea of the damage." Grimmjow nodded his understanding and continued to watch pale hands as they moved up, along the young man's rib cage. "It dosn't appear that any of his ribs are broken." Ulquiorra's hands moved to the front of the boys chest, there they stopped. He paused, pushing lightly at the center of his chest, between the boys pectoral muscles. "However, it seems his sternum is fractured. The damage is minimal and clean. It should heal on its own as long as he does not strain himself." Grimmjow let out a relieved sigh and the smaller man resumed his inspection of the boys body. He checked his legs, ankles, hips, and arms. He found another fracture upon inspecting one of the young man's wrists. He made his way to the more delicate areas of the neck and throat. The boy was breathing in soft, wet, gurgling gasps, he suspected it was simply due to the bruised and swollen tissues of his throat, but he would check for any crushed cartilage just the same.

Grimmjow noticed Ichigo's eyes move behind the lids, he was beginning to stir. Ulquiorra had just placed his delicate fingers on the abused throat when Ichigo woke with a start. He sat up and yelled, so fast that he scared everyone in the room. Ulquiorra fell to his butt, gun pointed at the now awake and very scared boy in front of him, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Shit, Ulqui!" Grimmjow said, pushing the gun to point in another direction and grabbing Ichigos shoulders. "Ichi... Ichigo." He said, drawing the scared orange heads attention. The injured males eyes were wide with fear. Ichigo struggled weakly, making soft whimpering sounds. He tried to free himself, not recognizing the men in front of him. "It's me, Ichi, Grimmjow. You remember me? From the club?" The blue haired man said in a quiet, soft tone. He gently tried to push the boy back to a flat position, talking all the while. "It's ok, your safe, yer at my place."

Ichigo studied the bluenettes face, and swallowed. Hissing quietly, he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. He allowed himself to be slowly pushed back to the couch, one of Grimmjow's big hands on his back, supporting him and the other on his chest, ever so gently guiding him backward.

Grimmjow threw a murderous look over his shoulder at Ulquiorra, who had replaced the gun in its original, concealed place. He shrugged, glad to see Grimm looking a little more like his natural self. "I apologize" He said softly. "it has become a reflex." Grimmjow returned his attention to the berry in front of him.

"wh... what..." Ichigo paused, coughing a little as he tried to push words past his abused throat. He squeezed his eyes shut again, in obvious pain, a few tears managing to slide down his black and blue cheek. He panted softly, trying to get past his pain in order to speak. "what...ha...happened?" He managed to croak out softly, his voice sounding rough and strained.

Grimmjow had a strange urge to hug the poor man and kiss away his tears. He felt terrible for the berry. Being a creature of impulse, Grimmjow did just that. He leaned over and squeezed the boy a bit too tightly. Ichigo squealed a little and gasped, "ouch" he managed, making the bigger man freeze, then slowly pull back.

"s...sorry..." Grimmjow apologized, but he instantly felt better when he saw the small, crooked smile tilt the berry's lips. The blue haired man smiled brightly, then remembered Ichigo's question. His brows scrunched together "how much do you remember?"

Ichigo thought for a minute, everyone in the room watching him. "I...remember leaving the club, and putting your number in my phone" his face reddened a bit under the bruises of his black eyes. "and I remember...Renji..." he trailed off at the thought of how bad the red headed baboon had managed to mess him up. "the last thing I remember... is reaching for my phone and getting... kicked."

Grimmjow winced. Nnoitra spoke up. "How the hell did ya call Grimms phone then?" Ichigo looked confused at the tall man that had spoken. He vaguely remembered seeing him at the tattoo parlor he had hid in before work yesterday. The man was wearing the same bandanna he had been then.

"I..I didn't call anyone. They kicked the phone away..."

Ulquiorra piped in, having pieced the mystery together. "When you dropped the phone during the fight, are you certain you saved the number and backed out of the menu?" Ichigo thought for a moment, they must have pushed the call button when they kicked the phone out of his reach. "You were very lucky." Ulquiorra said, seeing realization dawn on the young mans face.

"Sh...shit." Ichigo said, his voice still sounding rough. He looked exhausted and talking seemed to take quite a toll on him. No one could blame him, he had been through hell. But he was alive. He took several uneasy breaths, then; "Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Shinji"

**AN: just so you know, fractured sternums hurt like hell. it herts to raise your arms, turn the stearing wheel of a car, pick up things. Basically any everyday movement and actions are painful. The pectoral and abdomen muscles anchor to that area, you would be surprised to realize how much strain you actually put on that area Oo**  
><strong>Any way! Thanks for reading guys! Please review and give me any tips you can, Im kind of learning as I go here ^^<strong>


	4. Love and Hate

**AN: Another thanks to everyone reading, commenting, faving, etc! Im not sure Im terribly happy with this chapter, but enjoy anyway  
><strong>

**Chapter 4. Love and Hate**

Shinji woke with a start. His phone, which had been laying right next to his face on the couch started blaring the lyrics to Barbie Girl. He grabbed the phone up and answered without bothering to check the caller id.

"Hey Shin" Came Ichigos voice from the other end. He sounded a little odd, but Shinji didn't really care at the moment. He glanced at the clock. 9am.

"Ichi? Where the hell are ya? I've been worried!" He rambled into the phone. "Are ya ok, ya sound kinda rough. Why didn't you answer yer damn phone?"

Ichigo interrupted him, cutting off his tirade of questions. "Shin, please." His voice was quiet. "I...im ok, i couldn't..." He trailed off and Shinji could here him take a couple of breaths before he tried to continue. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I ran into some..." Ichigo grunted softly from the other end. "Some trouble..." He paused then softly whispered something that Shinji couldn't quite here.

"Ichi? Ya sound aweful.. are you ok?" Shinji asked softly, not sure what was going on. "Where are ya? I can come get ya.." He trailed off, listened to Ichigo cough a little and whimper quietly, it sounded a little pained. "Ichi?"

The phone was quiet for a few moments. "Hello? Ichigo'll be alright, he's just a lil beat up right now." The voice was deep and silky and the stuff wet dreams were made of and the blond had no idea who the hell it was or what he had done to Ichigo.

"Who the hell are you?" He bit into the phone, starting to get angry and panic, what was going on? He needed to find Ichigo.

"Name's Grimmjow. Ichi and I met at the club last night." the smooth voice replied. Shinji could hear strained patience in the mans voice. "Look. Ichi isn't really feeling the greatest. He needs to rest. But seein that you seem to be a friend a his, Im ganna give you my address. You can come 'ere and see him if you want." The man rattled off an address.

Grimmjow? From the club... hmm. Shinji sat and thought about it for a minute. "Oh! Yer that delicious blue haired hotty that was flirtin with Ichi all night!" He heard a sigh from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah. That one."

"I'll be there soon, ya better not have hurt him." The blond replied into the phone, his voice quiet and serious.

The drive hadn't taken very long but he was so worried about his best friend, he couldn't get there soon enough. Shinji ran up the steps to the front door, pounding loudly at the cool metal. The blue haired Grimmjow pulled it open and quirked a brow at him.

The blond pushed past him and ran into the apartment, there were a few other men there. Two were up and looked like they were getting ready to leave, one was petite and pale with large green eyes, he had green lines running down his face that made him look almost sad. The second was a tired looking man of average build with wavy brown hair. A third sat on a couch and stared at the Shinji with his one visible, violet eye, Shinji shivered a little. The man looked like he might hit his head on the ceiling if he stood up. Turning his head, Shinji gasped as he took in the sight of his friend. He was sleeping at the moment and covered with a blanket, but he lay there, shivering slightly and looked like he had been hit by a truck.

The blond looked back at Grimmjow, honey gold eyes wide. "What... what happened to him?"

••••••

Ichigo was now awake and sitting, having been helped up by both Shinji and Grimmjow, who had run to his side as soon as he started to stir. "Hey, Shin." Ichigo greeted a little sheepishly. He wanted nothing more than to lean into his big, blue haired savior who sat next to him, one arm thrown on the back of the couch behind Ichigo. He couldn't stop taking quick peeks at the mans half naked form. He may have been feeling like shit, but he could still enjoy the view.

"Oh my god, Ichi!" Shinji threw his arms around his friend, careful not to squeeze. "Grimmjow told me what happened! I'm so glad your alright!" He pulled back from Ichigo and looked at him. "A concussion, a fractured wrist and a fractured sternum. That ass hole and his mob could a done so much worse to ya, yer lucky ya had a hot guardian angel willin to fly ta yer rescue." Shinji said with a smirk and a wink to Ichigo.

The orange haired boy groaned at his friend, face tinted pink. "Shinji!" He smacked his blond friend lightly on the arm, wincing a bit with his sudden movement. Ulquiorra had told him he would be sore for a while from his abused sternum, but all his injuries would heal. And Ichigo guessed the concussion was the cause of his slight dizziness and why he felt so tired. Over all, Shinji was right. He had gotten lucky that Grimmjow and Nnoitra had showed up before any real damage was done. Oh, and that cat.

Wait...

Everyone in the room looked curiously at Ichigo as he frowned a bit, embarrassment forgotten. "Wa's wrong, kid?" the lanky, still shirtless Nnoitra asked from the other couch, sitting next to Shinji, who had left Ichigos side to be closer to the tall, half naked man he was practically drooling over. A slightly worried look crossed his features.

Ichigo looked from Nnoitra to Grimmjow, frown still marring his face. "I..." he trailed off, thinking and frowning further. "think I must have been having some weird dreams while I was knocked out..." He said, still looking a bit confused. Everyone in the room looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. "I thought I seen... a really big cat...scare Renji away..." Grimmjow gave him a handsome grin so sinful he was sure he was in hell for a moment, a delicious and wonderful hell. Nnoitra let out a deep bout of laughter, looking at Grimmjow like they were sharing some hilarious secret. The blond haired boy next to Nnoitra grinned a little, making Grimmjow and Ichigo stop and stare for a moment at how well they matched each other.

Grimmjow stood up, leaving Ichigos side and ran to the kitchen. He came back into the room a few seconds later, handing Ichigo a package. Nnoi rolled his eyes at the blue haired man. The orange head looked at it, Jack Links Beef Jerky. He looked up at Grimmjows still smirking face. "Uhhh..."

Grimmjow chuckled and took the bag from the cute berry's hands as he took his seat next to the boy. He shook the package a little. Shinji and Ichigo stared at him, thoroughly confused. The small jingle of a bell caught their attention, making the two boys turn their heads toward the hall way. Ichigos jaw dropped. Nnoitra threw his head back in laughter, clutching his stomach.

A cat way to big to be a normal house cat came trotting around the corner, making a bee line for the bluenette. It jumped up onto the couch and stared at Grimmjow, who handed it a piece of the jerky. Grimmjow scooped up the giant cat in his arms and cradled it like a baby. He looked over at Ichigos stunned face, laughter starting anew.

••••••

Shinji sat in his car, waiting for Ichigo. They had stayed, talking and getting to know the men that had rescued Ichigo for most of the day, but Ichigo was getting tired so Shinji had insisted they leave. Grimmjow had agreed with him, saying that the berry needed his rest.

Shin watched the blue haired man help his best friend down the small stair case. So thats what had taken them so long, Shinji thought to himself. Ichigo was wearing a pair of borrowed, oversized, baggy sweat pants and a t-shirt that hung off his smaller frame. They were cute together, the blond decided. He watched the bigger man help support Ichigo as he walked next to him to Shinji's car. He even opened the passenger door for the berry.

Ichigo started climbing in the car, he paused before shutting the door, wanting to thank Grimmjow and Nnoitra one more time for all they had done for his sake since last night. The blue haired male saw his opportunity and leaned in, kissing Ichigo on the cheek. The younger man's thank you died in his throat, his face and ears going red. Shinji giggled from beside him. Grimmjow's grin reached from ear to ear at the adorable shade of red tinting Ichigo's face. "I'll talk to ya later, Ichi." He promised and closed the door to the car, allowing Shinji to finally take an exhausted Ichigo home.

"Ooooh, he's a keeper, Ichi!" Shinji commented, backing out of the drive.

••••••

A little over a week had passed since Ichigos run in with Renji and his crew. He was still a little sore but was able to get up and move around on his own. He felt pretty good and all but the worst of his bruising was gone. He had gotten a new phone and texted his number to the blue haired man that was constantly plaguing his mind, not that he minded thinking about him. They had been talking almost nonstop since then.

Ichigo ran down the hall of he and Shinji's small apartment, slowing to halt outside his blond friends closed bedroom door. He knocked twice then threw the door open. "Shin!" Shinji jumped and dropped his manga that he had been reading. Shinji's brows rose to his hairline. "He finally asked! He wants to take me out tonight!" Ichigo was over joyed.

Shinji squealed and jumped from the bed, tackling his orange haired friend. They fell to the ground with a thud. "Thats great! Its about time ya find a man!" He exclaimed. He looked down at the man below him when he heard a small grunt. "Oh! sorry..." Shinji helped his friend off the floor and hugged him again. "Soo, spill it. Where are ya guys goin?"

Ichigo hesitated for a moment. "Well, he wants to take me out to eat..." A small blush made its way to his face. "at Las Noches"

Shinji squealed again. "Oh my god, Ichi! Thats like, tha nicest, fine dining around!" He jumped up and down, so excited for his best friend. "What time are ya guys goin?"

"He told me to meet him at his parlor around seven, he's got to finish up a piece for a customer, and the reservation is for eight. So we're just ganna leave from there."

Shinji checked the baby pink clock sitting on his night stand. "Thats only three hours from now! We need ta hurry and find something for ya ta wear, go get in tha shower and I'll start lookin fer an outfit!" The blond pushed Ichigo through the hall and toward the bathroom, then took off for the orange haired males room.

Ichigo stripped and turned on the shower. He turned to the mirror as he waited for the water to warm up a little. He stared at his abused abdomen, there was still an angry green and purple bruise marring it. It didn't matter, the smile that plastered his face refused to leave.

He hopped under the steaming spray of water, quickly soaping up and shampooing his hair. He took his time rinsing the scented washes from his lean body and hair. He let the water run threw his hair and down his face, enjoying the heat and soothing effect that came with a shower. All too soon, he heard pounding on the bathroom and Shinji yell at him to hurry. He smirked at his friends excitement. You would think it was Shin going on a date, he was so enthusiastic about it.

Ichigo finally left the shower, donning nothing but a pair of dark blue boxers, nothing Shinji hadn't seen already, besides, the blond man would just make his strip down to try on outfit after outfit anyway. He and Shinji had been friends forever and had walked in on some of the worst things so many times they could hardly be embarrassed by anything the other did anymore. And so he walked into his room and began trying on a million different outfits his best friend had picked out.

After at least ten different changes of clothes, they both came to an agreement. Ichigo would be wearing a pair of black skinny jeans that showed off his long, lean legs. "Yer butt looks so cute in those" Shinji giggled as he watched his friend wiggle into the tight pants. Ichigo rolled his eyes as he picked up the shirt and slid it over his head. It was a simple white, tight fitting polo shirt, he opted to leave the buttons undone, giving it a slightly more relaxed look. A pair of purple converse and a dark purple, studded belt completed the look. Ichigo looked at himself in the full length mirror hanging on his wall, he twirled once and looked at Shinjis reflexion behind his own. Shinji gave a huge smile and clapped his hands. "Perfect, Ichi, you'll knock 'em dead!"

••••••

Grimmjow sat on his office chair style stool, leaning over a woman that he was doing work for. The gun hummed in his hand. He couldn't wait for his date with the berry. He had a change of clothing in his office for that night, for now, he simply wore his favorite jeans, a pair of faded, torn up, ink stained pants and a white wife beater. The small smirk that adorned his handsome features hadn't left all day.

The woman on the table was looking up at him, babbling about how beautiful his eyes were or some other shit. He couldn't really care less, and was hardly even paying attention. He finished the woman's tattoo and handed her a mirror. The woman giggled and proclaimed her love for the new tat while Grimm cashed her out. He looked at the clock. One more person was scheduled before his date.

He busied himself with cleaning up his station for the next patron while he waited, the sound of Nnoitras gun humming in the background as he inked his own client.

Grimmjow threw the old needle away and wiped the chair down, sanitizing everything, including his gun and the metal, medical style table he used to hold the ink he was using. He took his rubber gloves off with a snap and tossed them in the trash before rewashing his hands. The bell above the shop door rang, the bluenette didn't bother looking up, figuring it to be his last patron.

••••••

Ichigo walked through the front door of Grind Ink, one of those annoying but necessary bells ringing as the door swung open. He was impressed that Grimm and Nnoitra had their own shop. Ichi had finished getting ready early and decided he wanted to watch Grimmjow work and check out his parlor. He didn't have any tattoos of his own and had never seen it being done before. And the last time he had been in here, it had been a little rushed.

He froze just inside the door, annoying bell forgotten. Grimmjow stood, bent over at the waist cleaning something in front of him, his back to Ichigo. Ichigo couldn't stop staring at that perfect ass, his breath hitching a little. The vibrating hum of a gun stopped and Ichigo heard a chuckle from his left. "Yo, kid. Yer early." Came Nnoitras deep and amused voice. Ichigo wrenched his eyes away from Grimmjow and looked to the lanky man.

"Hey, Nnoi." He said mentally shaking himself and reddening when he saw the black haired tattooists knowing grin. It nearly split his face in half, reveal those piano key teeth.

Grimmjow turned around, "Oh, hey, what ya doin here so early?" He asked, approaching the orange haired young man. Grimmjow cocked his head to the side a little and crossed his corded arms over his chest as he admired his man. He allowed his eyes to rake Ichigos form up and down unashamedly, making the delicious berry turn an even brighter shade of red.

"Like what ya see?" Ichigo retorted through his embarrassment. Might as well try and tease the bigger man a little. He kicked himself, thinking that he needed to stop acting like a shy little girl every time he was around Grimmjow.

The bluenette stepped closer, directly in front of him now and smirked his trade mark, killer grin. "I do, as a matter of fact." He purred into Ichigos ear.

The smaller man shivered a little and looked up at the blue haired man. He gave Grimmjow a small smile and stood on his tippy toes, ghosting his lips over Grimms, in a silky, deepened voice he whispered, "Good, hope ya save room for dessert..." and pulled away. Smirking at the look on Grimmjows face.

••••••

Nnoitra hadn't heard what the little berry had said, but the look on Grimms face made him roll his eyes. He stood there, stock still after the smaller man pulled away, eyes dark, his mouth parted slightly. A devilish smile slowly spread to consume his face, all bright, white teeth and dirty intent. Nnoitra shook his head, he had to give the kid credit, it wasn't often someone dared to tease his big, blue haired friend. And Grimmjow seemed to love every minute of it.

The bell finally rang, signaling the arrival of the next and last customer of the night. Grimmjow looked over the shoulder of the little tease in front of him, wolfish smile fading to a scowl. A low growl issued from the back of his throat, reminding Ichigo of the large hunting cat painted on the back wall. Grimmjow put his arms around the tops of Ichigos shoulders protectively, his whole body was rigid, like he was ready to pounce on the poor soul that had just walked through the door. The orange head heard Nnoitras stool scrape the concrete floor as he stood up. Finally, the young man had enough. He struggled and managed to turn around in Grimms grasp.

Renji and his bald underling stood at the door. They hadn't moved since recognizing the men within the tattoo parlor. Renji had smirk plastered on his smug face. It didn't fool anyone in the room, the two gang members body language screamed uncertainty, like they could attack or retreat at any moment.

Nnoitra was watching both the men at the door and his friend, unsure who he was more worried about. The men at their door were the very same that had beat the hell out of Grimms new boyfriend, and they fully deserved to get what they had dished out. However, he knew if his friend got a hold of either of them, especially that red headed one, he wouldn't stop till he had painted the walls to match the punks hair. Nnoitra didn't want to loose another friend to prison.

Ichigo shivered a little against Grimmjows tense body. The small movement seemed to wake the man from whatever had gripped him. He squeezed Ichi a little tighter before pushing the smaller man behind him and taking a step toward the bastards in his shop. He saw Nnoitra in his peripheral vision tense up and look his way. He knew what his friend was thinking, Nnoi was getting ready to restrain him if it came to that. He couldn't blame the man. He wanted to kill the little shit that had hurt his Ichi, and if the punk made a move in any direction other than backward, he would be in trouble.

"Get. the hell. out. of my parlor." Grimmjow issued in a low, even tone through clenched, over sharp teeth, taking another step toward the two boys. He watched them hesitate and look to each other. Grimmjow began stalking forward, eyes intense and ready to wreak havoc.

Nnoitra jumped into action, he grabbed Grimmjows arm, halting him. "If ya don't get the FUCK out NOW, yer ganna get hurt." He said to the dumb asses that were to stupid to realize they were in trouble.

Renji craned his neck to look past the blue haired man at Ichigo. He gave the orange haired man a look that promised vengeance as he backed toward the door. He slowly opened it behind his back, pausing in the door way. "This aint over, faggot." he promised.

Nnoitra cursed, "Shit" he hissed under his breath. Grimmjow lunged forward, out of his reach and at the red head who had just issued the threat. Grimmjow was at the door before Renji was even able to turn around and flee. He grabbed the red heads shirt by the collar, launching his big fist into the punks gut. Nnoitra was by his side, grabbing his arm and pulling him off the fucker before he was able to kill the guy. "Get the fuck out and consider yerself lucky." He hissed at the red head and his crony. The two spun and fled, Renji clutching his stomach and coughing.

Grimmjow shot Nnoi a look that spelled murder. The taller man pushed his hot headed friend toward the young man sill standing at the back of the room. "Go ta yer man, dumb ass. Look at the poor kid."

Grimmjow looked to Ichigo, the anger instantly melting away from his face. Ichigo stood there, hands clasped at his chest, eyes wide. He shook a little and took a tentative step toward Grimmjow. "Jesus, Ichi... Im sorry..." Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo to his chest and hugged him.

Ichigo snuggled into his boyfriends chest "I...Im alright, just a little surprised I guess." He said, pulling away from the larger man. "Lets just go and have tonight, ne?" A genuine smile crossed his face.

"Deal" Grimmjow smirked and grabbed Ichigo's hand. "And don't forget that dessert you promised" He lead Ichigo toward his office. The berry looked up at him with a questioning expression. "Gotta change, can't wear this, especially while you look so damn delicious." Ichigo grinned at him.

••••••

Grimmjow emerged from his office a few seconds later, looking good enough to eat, the berry thought to himself. He was wearing a pair of dark blue, form fitting jeans that were faded to nearly white across the front of the thighs and fit him like a dream. They showed off just enough to make you want more. A black, V-neck, short sleeved shirt that exposed the top of his built chest and hugged his muscled torso adorned his upper body. His white Nikes and a white belt polished off the look.

The two men headed toward the door of the studio. "Be good kids!" Nnoitra yelled after them, back to his normal, sarcastic self. "Wear protection and call if yer ganna be late!"

Grimmjow flipped him the bird from the door, but the smile on his face held no heat. Nnoitra cackled like a mad man.

**AN: Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!**


	5. Nightmares and Demons

**AN: I ended up writing the majority of this chapter at very odd hours of the night. Just had this crazy thought, and ran with it. Let me know what you think!  
>lots of developments in this one. Enjoy~<br>**

**Chapter 5: Nightmares and Demons**

The date had started off a little awkward, Grimmjow had taken him to one of the nicest restaurants in the area, and as soon as they had walked in, they had instantly been the target of attention and even a few whispers. Grimmjow's wild, blue hair and exposed sleeve of ink received a few whispers of "inappropriate" and looks of shock from some of the older crowd too set in their ways, as well as the snotty, more wealthy of the patrons. When the two young men were lead to a private table for two, the looks of shock turned to disgust and people kept sending glares their way.

Grimmjow had answered the stares with a withering glare of his own and made it abundantly clear that he couldn't care less about those people or what they thought. After the first few minutes, the date was smooth sailing and the two had a great time. The food was wonderful, the service was exactly what you would expect from such a nice establishment, though Ichigo felt kind of bad for the poor waitress. She couldn't keep here eyes off Grimmjow and he seemed to be having too much fun making her feel awkward whenever she came by, constantly saying things to elude that he and the orange head were together and making the girl blush and stumble over her words. But it was more amusing than anything and Ichigo surprised himself with just how quickly he had warmed up to the bluenette sitting across from him. At the end of the night, Grimmjow tipped their unfortunate waitress well for putting up with them.

Over all, the night had been great and Ichigo couldn't wait for the next time they went out together.

••••••

Renji blew smoke through his nostrils, it curled upward, into the air of his dank, crappy little apartment. He finished off the blunt, hoping he would get a moments peace. Ichigo and that blue haired bastard were constantly plaguing his mind.

He had to get back at them, had to get revenge. Ichigo needed to pay his toll and the blue haired fuck was in the way. Why should he care to help the little strawberry? Maybe they were fucking, was that big man a fag too? He didn't look like one. Was he Ichigo's boyfriend? He had seemed awfully protective.

He sat back, mind fuzzy, and contemplated his next move.

••••••

Ichigo sat in the passenger seat of Grimmjow's blue GT-R, a small smile tilting his lips. He sent a quick text to Shinji. "_on r way back. date was great :)_" Shinji waisted no time in replying, Ichigo glanced at his screen. The text read; "_is the blu natural? ;)_ " Ichigo stuffed his phone back in his pocket, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

Grimmjow looked at him from the driver seat. He seemed like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it. Ichigo quietly waited for him to speak.

"So..." Grimmjow hesitated. He didn't want his question to ruin the night, but he had to know. Fuck it, he decided. "Why does that red head motherfucker not like you so much?" He said in his typical, rough manner.

Ichigo hesitated, not knowing what to say. He kind of owed the man an answer, but it was a hard topic to talk about. "Uhh...its...kind of a complicated story..."

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want too. I just... I'm curious is all" Grimmjow said with a shrug, glancing over at him, then back to the road. "And I wanna know why he keeps beggin me to beat his ass."

The berry let out a deep sigh, he looked out the side window, not able to look at his man while he spoke. "It...it happened a long time ago..." he paused, taking another deep breath. "My... our parents had been good friends, and so Renji and I had grown up together." He swallowed and Grimmjow could tell he was struggling to stay calm. "when we were about 6...Renji's a year older than me... our moms had taken us to the park, but we thought we were to old for play dates at the park" Ichigo paused again, chuckling softly. "so we had decided to run off and play in the woods across the street..." He glanced at Grimmjow for a second, then turned his head back to the window. " after they realized we were missing...his mom and my mom... they started looking for us, but we had lost track of time and had been walking for a while..." He continued in a quiet voice, Grimmjow almost couldn't here him above the engine of the car. "They were driving around town looking for us... We had wandered back to my house after goin back to the park and not finding them. My dad had tried calling mom..." Grimmjow heard Ichigo sniffled a little. "We got a phone call from the hospital a few hours later... they had been in an accident... neither of them survived." Ichigo took a deep breath, calming himself a little. "Renji blamed me for killing his mom, it was my idea that we go play somewhere else... and he has never forgiven me, he never will." Then, in a whisper he added, "Me bein gay is just an excuse..."

They were in the parking lot of Ichigo's apartment complex by now but neither of them moved. Finally, after several moments of trying to figure out what to do, Grimmjow got out of the car and hurried to the passenger side. Ichigo was slowly climbing out of the car and Grimmjow wrapped his arms around the berry.

Ichigo allowed himself to relax in the man's strong embrace. "Ichi... that wasn't yer fault." Grimmjow's voice was soft but it held a tone that didn't allow room for negotiation. "You couldn't have known somethin like that would happen. You were just kids." Ichigo found himself nodding into Grimmjow's broad chest. He knew it wasn't his fault, he knew that Renji had allowed his grief to cloud his judgement and turn him into a spiteful creature, but that didn't make it hurt less. "Come on" Grimmjow said, pulling him toward the door to the apartment.

"I... I had a lot of fun with you tonight." Ichigo said, looking up at the taller man with big, warm brown eyes, trying to forget about the past. Grimmjow gave him a handsome smirk. "Do you wanna come in for a while?" He blurted out, not able to control himself.

"Course I do." Grimmjow said, his devilish smile eating up his face. He allowed himself to be lead through the front door, giving a small wave to the blond sitting on the couch. "Yo, Shinji, right?"

"The one and only," The blond replied, standing and giving a bow. He looked Grimmjow up and down. "an don' you look positively delectable." He added, wide smile marring his features.

Ichigo turned a light shade of red and Grimmjow laughed and with a shrug he said, "Can't help it, it's a curse." The blond giggled at him.

Shinji sat back down and plugged his head phones into his laptop and put his favorite anime in, throwing a wink at his best friend when he saw Ichigo look down the hall, toward his room. The berry's face turned as red his name sake, but he threw a wide smile over his shoulder as he turned to lead the blue haired man out of the entry way. What would he do without Shinji? And, damn it, why did everything concerning Grimmjow make him blush like a little virgin girl?

••••••

The room was small but inviting. The walls were a plain, off white, the carpeting a neutral, olive tinted beige. The average colors one would expect to find in an apartment.

A twin sized bed, covered in a deep purple bed spread dominated the center of the room, a wooden desk with a table lamp sat just past it, facing the single window. There were various band posters and a few family photos littering the wall to the left of the door. A stack of medical text books sat in a corner.

Grimmjow made himself at home and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked up at Ichigo. "ah, I'm sorry about ruinin yer night... I didn't know it would be such a personal question..."

Ichigo sat down next to him. "Its not really a big deal..." He paused and a small smile crept onto his face. "But, if you wanna, you could make it up to me... we never did get dessert."

A lecherous smile split the blue haired man's face, revealing over sharp, pearly whites. Grimmjow leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on Ichigo's lips. He pulled back and looked the man sitting next to him in the eye before kissing him again. This time he allowed his tongue to run across the berry's bottom lip, seeking entry. Ichigo parted his lips, allowing Grimmjow's tongue to dominate his, his breathing picking up in speed. The tip of the bluenette's tongue flicked over a metal ball set in the berry's tongue, he hummed his approval at the discovery, playing with it a bit.

Grimmjow moved lower, kissing his way down the berry's chin, he followed Ichigo's jaw line, placing wet kisses all the way to his ear. He nipped and licked at the sensitive area, making Ichigo squirm and let out a small gasp.

A hand slipped under Ichi's shirt while the bluenette continued to kiss and lick his neck and ear. His breath hitched a little and he could feel Grimmjow smile against his skin. "Take this off..." Grimmjow purred into his ear, making a shiver run down the orange head's spine while Grimm tugged his shirt further up. Ichigo helped remove the white polo he had been wearing and watched as Grimmjow removed his own shirt.

The bigger man pressed the berry backward, so that he was laying on the bed. He kissed his way down Ichigo's throat and nipped at his collar bone, delighted at the small sounds coming from the man below him. He alternated between open mouthed kisses and gentle sucking down the orange haired man's abdomen, making sure to dip his tongue into Ichigo's belly button. One of Ichigo's hands ran through wild blue hair, the other grabbing at his arm as if desperately trying to pull him closer. Grimmjow started to lick his way back up, his pace brutally slow and agonizing. He mapped the planes of the smooth, toned skin before him with his tongue. Ichigo tugged on his hair a bit to harshly and the bluenette bit down, just enough to draw a hissing breath from the orange head.

"Sh...shit..." Ichigo mumbled. This man had to be the devil. Grimmjow had barely done anything and already he thought he was going to loose his mind.

Grimmjow pulled away from the berry, smile never leaving his face. He climbed on top of Ichigo, straddling his hips, and gave the man a searing kiss on the lips. Ichigo ran his hands down the blue haired man's bare chest. God, he could not get enough of this man's body. The action caused Grimmjow to let out a quiet, but deep moan. Ichigo could feel it rumble in his chiseled to perfection chest and imagined it was close to the sound a giant, wild cat might make.

He continued running his hands over Grimmjow's stomach, feeling the way the man flexed and quivered ever so slightly with excitement. His fingers brushed something metal and he stopped. He broke the kiss and Grimmjow straightened, still straddling his hips. Ichigo scanned the man's abdomen, letting his eyes slowly lower and search out the metal he had felt.

The berry let out a deep, aroused groan. Two metal studs glinted from the man's navel. Grimmjow had his belly button pierced, and damn was it sexy.

Ichigo arched his back a little, rubbing their very prominent erections together. The orange head watched the man above him slide his eyes closed as Grimm began to grind against him. His fingers traced over a slightly welted scar on Grimmjow's abdomen, he tried to trace it with his finger tips, but Grimmjow's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, halting him from further following the circular mark, his crystal blue eyes a little crazed. Ichigo looked down at it. It was faint, but the jagged scar ran an almost complete circle around the man's belly button, it had to be at least six inches in diameter. He started to ask about it, but Grimmjow quickly silenced him by invading his mouth with a long tongue.

The blue haired devil unzipped Ichigo's pants and popped the button. He reached his hand in, cupping the bulge he found, making the young man whimper a little. Grimmjow sat up and slid off Ichigo, standing in front of him, between his legs. The only warning he gave was a quick "Yer pants are too tight" before he pulled Ichigo's skinny jeans off his legs and dropped them to the floor. He quickly undid his own pants, letting them pool to the floor, and freed himself of his black, silk boxers. He climbed back on top of Ichigo, grabbing both of their cocks in his big hand. Strong fingers wrapped tightly around the rigid lengths. Ichigo shuddered with the realization that everything about Grimmjow's body was perfect.

He bucked his hips and gasped as he felt Grimmjow begin to slowly pump his hand, grinding against Ichigo in time with the movement. "mnnn" He let out a moan as Grimmjow picked up speed. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck, pulling the man in close for a deep, messy kiss. As Grimmjow increased the speed again, moaning with his own pleasure, Ichigo stuttered his name.

"Gr...Grimm–jow" He moaned into the man's mouth. Heat pooled in his belly and he felt his release nearing. "I...im ganna.." He moaned, deep in his throat and coated his and the bigger mans stomachs in hot, sticky fluids. He felt Grimmjow shudder on top of him as he followed closely with his own release.

The man kissed Ichigo then rolled off him, laying on his back next to the younger man. They lay there and panted softly for a few moments.

••••••

Shinji paused in his door way, a quiet but deep moan that could have only been the big, blue haired guy issued from Ichigo's room. Shinji giggled and closed his bed room door with a quiet click.

••••••

"Wanna get cleaned up?" Ichigo asked, standing up and looking to his blue haired lover. Grimmjow stood from the bed and nodded, making his way to the door, still naked. "Hey! At least throw on your boxers, Shinji's out there" Ichigo hissed from behind him.

Grimmjow chuckled and stepped out into the hall. "He's in his room, heard the door latch a few minutes ago." He watched Ichigo's ears tint red, dammit, this guy will be the death of me, he thought to himself. He was too damn cute sometimes. He grabbed a naked Ichigo's hand and pulled him into the hall way after him. "Lets go shower."

Ichigo allowed himself to be pulled into the bathroom, the door was shut and locked behind them. He watched Grimmjow turn the water on and climb in, he hesitated for just a moment, then joined the larger man under the hot spray.

Grimmjow had his head tilted back, his fingers combing through his hair and Ichigo couldn't help but take in the sight of the built and extremely gorgeous man in front of him. With his body glinting from the water, and the filtered light coming through the shower curtain, Ichigo finally got a good look at just how scared up the man really was.

Mostly hidden under the sleeve of ink that began on his left arm and extended to his chest, a faint, once jagged "X" shaped scar rested over where his heart was located. Another scar, a long, slightly raised mark, ran from his collar bone, at a slight angle, all the way to the circular scar he had seen earlier. The first two scars looked to have healed well, and were hardly noticeable, but that rounded one... it must have been a sever wound to leave such an angry mark, even though it had the look of an old injury. Ichigo wandered at what could have caused such terrible marks, Grimmjow didn't seem like the type to self mutilate, he was too proud, stubborn and confident for that. But other than a blade, he couldn't think of anything else that would have left such damage. He thought about asking, but he remembered the way the bigger man had reacted when he pointed them out earlier, and decided to ignore it for now. Instead, he continued to wash off as well.

They helped each other clean the mess off their stomachs, Grimmjow lightly touching at the ugly bruise that still marked Ichigo's abdomen. It surprised the orange head when he dropped to his knees and began kissing and licking the spot gently. Nuzzling at it as if he could make it go away.

Feeling his dick start to come to life again, Ichigo decided he had enough of the innocent foreplay. He pulled the blue haired man up into a heated kiss before dropping to his own knees. Ichigo smirked as he quickly took in the view of the man in front him, so the blue was natural.

He fondled the bigger man's balls a bit, watching as his heavy cock twitched at the ministrations. Ichigo lightly trailed his fingers along the underside before licking at the head. He heard Grimmjow give a low moan. Like that, did ya? He thought to himself. He repeated the action, running the ball of his tongue ring through the slit before engulfing as much as he could at once. He bobbed his head back and forth along Grimm's large cock, swirling his tongue around the tip before sucking back down along the length. He glanced up when he felt Grimmjow's fingers lock into his hair.

••••••

Grimmjow ran his hand through water soaked, soft orange spikes, his other hand was flat against the wall of the shower, supporting him as the berry continued to bob along his member. He tilted his head back, letting out a deep moan at a particularly forceful suck. Damn, was he good, and that tongue ring... Grimmjow shuddered a little, much more of this and he wasn't going to last very long. He glanced down, opening his eyes to half mast.

Ichigo was looking up at him, those chocolate brown eyes dark and full of lust, his head still bobbing back and forth along Grimmjow's cock. One of the smaller man's hands was resting on Grimmjow's hip, the other was wrapped around his own dick, jacking himself off.

That did it for the bluenette, he moaned out "Ichi...", his head thrown back and his eyes closed. His toes curled and he groaned out his orgasm. He looked back down at Ichigo, panting at the force of his release, and saw the orange haired man lick his lips clean, just before finishing himself off.

Grimmjow lowered himself to a sitting possession on the bottom of the tub, not trusting his shaky legs. He sat, with Ichigo sitting between his legs and enjoyed the hot spray of the shower for a few minutes. "If that wasn't the second time in only twenty minutes, I'd fuck you through the floor..." he whispered into the orange head's ear, his voice deep and rough. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man and licked from the base of his neck to his ear, forcing a shiver from Ichigo.

••••••

After finally climbing out of the shower and a few hours of idle talk, Grimmjow left.

Ichigo had an early class that he had to get up for in about four or five hours, and after a night filled with fun and excitement, he was surly tired. The orange head quickly drifted off to a deep and peaceful sleep.

••••••

Grimmjow went back to the new apartment he had been living in for a few months. It was a nice place, spacious and nothing like his childhood home, or the crappy, small apartment he had moved out of.

The land lord had given him permission to paint so long as he primer the walls back to white before he moved out, and so he had. The walls were now different shades of grayish blues in different rooms. His furniture mostly black to compliment the lighter shades. The two, large, black couches dominated the living room, along with his big screen TV. The floor of the entry way and hall were a smooth, polished wood.

He unlocked his front door, shutting and locking up behind him, then made his way toward the master bed room. A small smile at the memories of the day made itself evident as he readied for bed. He had painted this room, his room, a dark, charcoal grey, the short carpet was white and the large, king size bed that dominated one side of the room was clothed in white blankets and royal blue sheets. A thick, shag rug of various brightly colored, blue squares sat in the middle of the room.

Grimmjow climbed beneath the satin sheets, donning nothing but his boxers, and as he drifted off, a single thought kept repeating itself in his mind's eye; Ichigo had traced his scars, pointed them out, really noticed them. He hated his scars, loathed them and all they were.

And suddenly, thats all he could think about.

Scars, memories, his past. Nightmares.

He jolted out of bed, a light sweat slicking his body. He needed a distraction. He could feel it creeping up on him. He grabbed his phone and sent a quick message. "_U up?_"

Nnoitra took a few minutes to reply. "_U kno its 4am? What do u want? _"

Shit, Nnoi cursed at himself almost the instant he pushed the send button. It had been so long since Grimmjow had had one of his little episodes, but for some reason, he got the feeling thats what was going on. He quickly dialed his friend's number. "Pick up, Grimm. Pick up..." He whispered under his breath.

••••••

Grimmjow heard his phone go off in the background. He raised it to his ear mechanically and grunted a quick, "Hello." He sat in bed, staring directly in front of him but saw something wholly different than his apartment.

••••••

"Grimm, Oi, ass hole!" Nnoitra said loudly into the phone. He heard his friend give a grunt, then a small whimpering sound. "Grimmjow!" He threw a pair of pants on, hopping up and down, phone cradled between his shoulder and ear.

He finally managed to get the man's attention. "Y...yeah?... Sorry, I'm ok now, Nnoi."

Something in the man's deep voice made Nnoitra think otherwise. He threw a shirt on and grabbed his keys. "What happened?" He asked, trying to keep Grimmjow's attention. "It's been, what? Like a year since the last time this happened?"

"I... He touched..." Grimmjow trailed off again.

Nnoitra heard movement, then Grimm's quickened, panicked breathing. "Fuck. Ill be there in a few" he said, knowing his friend couldn't here him.

He made the drive in record time, pulling up behind Grimmjow's blue car. He ran to the front door, grabbing the door knob. Leave it to the bluenette to choose tonight of all nights to lock his damn door. He dug out his copy of his friend's apartment key, fumbling a bit before letting himself in. "Grimm?"

He heard panting, then the sound of retching and something wet. He wrinkled his nose, damn, he had it bad this time.

He rushed down the hall, careful not to make too much noise, scaring the man usually made things worse, and more dangerous, for both of them. He found the blue haired man bent over the toilet. Just by looking at him, Nnoitra knew he hadn't been drinking, but it would have been easier if that was the source.

Grimmjow moved to sit on the floor by the toilet, looking toward Nnoitra in the door way. But his eyes were wide and unseeing, focused on what only he could ever know was there.

"Oi, wake up Grimm" Nnoitra called softly but loud enough that the man should have heard him. "It's ok, it's just me." Nnoi took a tentative step forward, knowing that his friend couldn't see him. "Grimmjow, I'm ganna touch ya, k?" He knew the man was lost in his nightmare, but he tried anyway, talking in soft, comforting tones.

He bent over, grabbing his lost friend's shoulder and gently shaking.

Grimmjow scared the piss out of him. He screamed and jumped backward with enough force to hit the wall, cracking his head on the tile. He put his face in his hands, breathing like he had just run a marathon and shook his head a little. He looked up at the lanky man, really seeing him this time.

"N...Nnoi?" He whispered in a harsh voice, uncertain of what was going on. Grimmjow grabbed at the toilet and lost the rest of his dinner, while Nnoitra made his way to the living room.

••••••

Grimmjow came into the living room a few minutes later, dark circles around his blue eyes, his hair slightly matted to his skull. He sat down across from Nnoitra, taking in a deep, steadying breath, "Thanks, Nnoi."

"No problem, ass hole." The taller man gave a wide yawn. "What brought that on anyway? Thought ya haven't been havin those anymore."

Grimmjow grimaced. "He... Ichi touched them" he said, his voice quiet. Nnoitra wouldn't need him to elaborate, he would understand what he was saying, what he was talking about.

"Well...if yer ganna fuck round wit him, a course he's ganna touch 'em."

"No... I mean he... felt them. Followed them with his fingers, he really looked at them. Not the way most people do... it was like..." Grimmjow shrugged. "Like he didn't mind them. He wasn't scared... just... gentle. "

Nnoitra sighed from across the darkened room. He knew how his friend hated those marks and all that came with them, he hated how people stared at them when he was shirtless, how the pointed or pitied him. But, he knew, Grimmjow hated the source of the marks more than anything. "Ya know, if yer serious 'bout this kid, yer ganna have to tell 'im eventually."

"I know..." Grimmjow yawned a bit, "Just wasn't ready for it."

••••••

**AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated! I want to know what you guys think **


	6. Ice Cream and Memories

**Chapter 6: Ice Cream and Memories**

The days went by, Ichigo kept busy with school and working at the club. He and Shinji started riding together, so the orange head wouldn't have to worry about Renji and his gang so much. He went to visit Grimmjow when he could. They texted each other constantly, and before they knew it, a little more than a month had gone by.

••••••

Ichigo didn't have work that night, and decided to swing by Grind Ink. to visit Grimmjow after all his classes were done. Summer break was approaching and he couldn't be more happy about it. He was ready to graduate and be done with school, and it would mean he would have more time with his blue haired lover.

Ichigo turned the corner and headed down a small side street, lost in thought, he had let his body guide him through the same route he always took to get to the parlor.

"How's it goin, strawberry?"

Ichigo mentally groaned. Great. "What do you want, Renji?"

He looked around, trying to see if the red head was planning an ambush. Renji hadn't bothered him since his little run in with Grimm at the shop, but Ichigo wasn't about to kid himself into thinking the twisted gang leader would forget about him so easily. He continued to scan the area but didn't see any signs of anyone else. Was Renji actually alone? That hardly seemed possible.

"Goin to see your fruity boyfriend? Bet that big guy really pounds yer skinny ass." The red head chuckled even as he made a face at his own words. He was only there to confirm that the big, blue man was indeed with Ichigo, so he didn't have to feel bad for dragging an innocent and normal man into his personal war. If he found out later that the guy had been straight, just in the wrong place at the wrong time, he might feel a little guilty. Maybe.

Ichigo bristled, his classic scowl turning into one of anger. "Fuck you. If you're here for a fight, then lets just get it over with."

Renji would never dare to fight with the orange head in a one on one without his crew to back him up. He knew Ichigo had trained in martial arts all throughout their childhood and he wasn't suicidal. "Believe me, I'd love to, faggot. Lucky for you, I have more important things to do today." With that, he continued down the street.

••••••

So, it seemed the blue haired guy was Ichigo's man. Good. Things just got a lot easier.

The red head turned down an ally and banged on a metal door. "It's me ya creep!"

The door slid open, a silver haired man with a too wide, creepy smile stood in the door way. "Mah mah. Are ya here for more fire power finally, Renji-kun?"

••••••

Ichigo frowned. He turned to watch the red head disappear around a corner. What the hell had that been about? He turned and hurried the rest of his way to Grind, not wanting to stretch his good fortune.

He walked through the glass front door of the parlor. "Hey guys."

"Oh, hey kid." Nnoitra said from his station. He was facing Ichigo, shirtless with a paint brush in hand. He had little splatters of paint marking his long arms and hands. A large, white canvas stood in front of him, it's back to Ichigo so he couldn't see what the lanky man was painting.

"You know, I do have a name, Nnoi."

"Yeah, so?" The man said, going back to his painting.

Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow. He was busy inking a gorgeous piece with bright, pink flowers and vivid, green vines that seemed to grow right out of the woman's dark skin. He could tell it would be a beautiful piece, as was most of his work.

Ichigo lifted a slim, orange brow, walking over to Nnoitra. "What ya painting?"

Nnoitra and Grimmjow always kept plenty of spare art materials and various medias in the back for times when they weren't very busy. It gave them something to do and, obviously, they both loved art, one could just look around the shop to see that.

Some of the paintings they did were sold, while some would stay and be added to the collection covering the walls.

Nnoitra stepped back from his canvas, letting Ichigo view it in it's entirety. It was beautiful. In soft, muted colors, Nnoitra had rendered a young woman in flowing, sheer fabric. A small smile graced her fair features, but it held sorrow. The background was blurred and indistinct, as if in perpetual motion. The only real color was a splash of vibrant red that seemed to stain what the woman was wearing. It appeared that Nnoitra only had the details to flush out, but not being an artist, Ichigo couldn't be sure.

"Wow, she's really beautiful." He said, still taking in the painting.

"Thanks, got yer mom ta pose fer me." The lanky artist said, cracking up at his own attempt at a joke.

Ichigo turned pale, swallowing, he turned away from the canvas. A stress ball with the Grind Ink. logo bounced from Nnoitra's head.

"Oi!" He yelled, turning toward Grimmjow who had already resumed working on the tattoo for his client, the woman openly grinned while the blue haired man kept a straight face. "What the hell was that for?"

"Coz your jokes suck." Grimmjow told him, with a glance in Ichi's direction, making sure he was ok.

Nnoitra followed the man's gaze. Oh, so the kid doesn't find it any funnier than his boyfriend, he thought to himself. What was it with half his friends having parental issues? He didn't even have parents, but you didn't see him cry about it. Oh well. Nnoitra shrugged and went back to his painting.

Ichigo pulled a chair up next to Grimmjow's stool. "Hey, Grimm. Is it ok if I watch?"

Grimmjow looked at him out of the corner of his eye, a small smile gracing his concentrated expression. "Hey, babe. You'll have ta ask her." He said with a slight nod to the woman in front of him.

The woman giggled a little, a warm smile reached her eyes. "You can watch all you like." she said quietly and looked back to her tattoo artist. "He your boyfriend?"

Grimmjow gave a bright smile, pausing in his work to switch the colors he was using. "Sure is, Hal."

"He's cute." She said, looking up at Ichigo again. "I didn't realize you were gay, Mr. Jaegerjaquez."

"You never asked, and you don't need to call me that, Grimmjow is fine." The blue haired man said, the small smile never leaving his handsome face. He picked up his gun and pressed the foot petal to begin working again. "Hal is one of our regulars." He explained to Ichigo. "She sends a lot of business our way too. We ought to recruit her for advertising or something." He looked back up to his boyfriend. "Wanna go for ice cream when I'm done here? It's the middle of the week, I'm sure Nnoi can handle a couple of hours by himself."

Ichigo smiled and nodded his head in the affirmative.

••••••

Getting ice cream had been fun. They had opted to drive Grimm's car back to his apartment and walk Pantera to the ice cream shop just down the road. It had amazed Ichigo that she would walk on a leash and listen to sit/ stay commands. Grimmjow had explained that after a vet had told him what kind of cat he had found, he'd done some research and found that the breed took to learning commands really well, so he had started training her. "Best of both worlds, she has the loyalty and obedience of a dog with the beauty and brains of a cat." He had said with a proud smile.

The shop owner, a dark skinned woman with dark hair and bright, gold eyes, had absolutely loved Pan. She gave the cat a dish of vanilla ice cream on the house and told them to bring her back again.

While Pan had laid in the grass, eating her ice cream, purring greedily all the while, the two young men had sat on a bench near by and enjoyed each others company, and the reactions they got from other patrons. At one point, a little white dog half Pan's size had sniffed a little too closely to her ice cream. She had layed her ears back and hissed, making the mutt whimper and run away. The owner of the dog had scooped it up in her plump arms and stared at the cat like it was a demon. Grimmjow had quite the laugh at the poor lady's expense.

Pretty soon they had headed back, not wanting to get caught in the dark.

••••••

"Do you have classes tomorrow?" Grimmjow asked as they walked through the parking lot toward his door.

"Not until late, I only ha..."

"Good," Grimmjow grabbed his boyfriend's hand "Then there's no reason for you not to stay the night." He led Ichigo through the door, shutting it behind them. He unleashed Pan and threw a stuffed dog down the hall way for her to attack and play with.

Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo by the hips, pulling the smaller man to him, and planted a heated kiss on his lips. He snaked his hands further around the berry and lifted him up.

Ichigo locked his legs around Grimmjow and broke the kiss, arching a slim, orange brow at the man. He watched a slow, lecherous grin take over Grimmjow's face.

"What? You wear those tight ass jeans all evening and expect me not to pay attention?" The blue haired man said, smile never leaving his face as he carried Ichigo down the hall.

Ichigo kissed the man holding him, feeling himself get hard through his jeans at the promises of what was to come. He kissed and licked Grimmjow's neck and ear, knowing it drove the larger man crazy when he took the initiative. The orange head grabbed at the back of the bigger man's shirt for support while nipping at his ear lobe. Grimmjow practically growled at the berry's ministrations, low in his throat, and slammed the door to his bed room open.

He threw the smaller man to the bed and quickly rid himself of his shirt, crawling on top of Ichigo, he pulled his man's shirt up and over his head, yanking it from his body and tossing it to the floor.

Ichigo felt his shirt ripped from his body so fast it was like he had never been wearing one. He gasped as sharp teeth bit into the sensitive flesh where his neck and shoulder met. He felt Grimmjow's hot tongue lave over the spot and suddenly his pants were way too tight. One of the bigger man's hands was in his hair, holding his head back so that devilish tongue had better access to his neck and jaw line. The other hand was busy working at his belt and pants.

Panting, Ichigo reached his hands down and helped Grimmjow divest him of his pants. Grimmjow let go of Ichigo's hair and leaned over to open a drawer in his night stand. Ichigo took the opportunity to sit up a little and begin taking the blue haired man's jeans off as well.

Grimmjow stood up and let his pants pool to the floor, kicking them out of the way. He yanked Ichigo's the rest of the way off, taking his boxers with them, and tossed the articles aside. He stepped out of his own boxers and squeezed some of the lube he had just retrieved onto his fingers.

Crawling back over top of the orange head, he licked his lips at the view before plunging a finger into Ichigo's tight entrance.

Ichigo cried out at the sudden intrusion, but was quickly quieted by Grimmjow's mouth over his. The man's tongue was as aggressive as he was, dominating Ichigo's tongue and exploring everything it could reach. It was an effective distraction as the bigger man slowly pumped his arm back and forth before adding a second finger.

Ichigo gasped and threw his head back, fingers raking against Grimmjow's broad back. "Oh god... Grimm...please..." The orange head managed to pant out between clenched teeth. He let out a quiet moan and started to rock his hips, forcing Grimmjow to pick up speed.

Grimmjow moaned low in his throat and removed his fingers. Unable to wait any longer, he lathered his heavy cock with a generous amount of lube and lined himself up. Grabbing Ichigo's legs and spreading them further, he slowly pushed into the berry.

Ichigo moaned and writhed beneath the bigger man, both from pain and pleasure. He grit his teeth as he felt Grimmjow slowly invade him. He allowed himself a few moments to adjust to Grimmjow's size. Move, move, move... but his brain was over loaded with his arousal and the words came out as nothing more than anther sound of pleasure. So he slowly began rocking his hips again, impaling himself on the large cock now seated deep inside him.

Grunting, Grimmjow took the hint and started up a slow but steady pace. He slowly picked up in speed, penetrating deeper and Ichigo cried out again. He listened to the man below him moan and whimper, begging him to go faster. Grimmjow complied and pounded into the berry at a brutal pace, striking his prostate with almost every thrust.

Grimmjow voiced his own pleasure in the form of a rumbling, deep in his chest that was as much a growl as a moan, and leaned over the berry, grabbing his neglected member and began stroking in time with his thrusts.

"Gr...Grimm..." Ichigo panted below him. "Mmnnn... faster!" Grimmjow happily complied picking up the pace even more. He held onto one of Ichigo's hips for leverage, the other hand still wrapped around his cock. He pumped his hand and felt the smaller man's dick twitch, signaling that he was close.

"I...I'm..." Ichigo's fingers raked down the bigger man's back and arms. He arched his back and moaned his release.

Grimmjow felt the smaller man's heated walls constrict around him, he gave one final push before riding out his own orgasm. Breathing heavily, he pulled out of Ichigo and crawled up beside him on the bed. Disregarding the mess they had made, he curled up next to the smaller man and kissed him.

Ichigo smiled at the man by his side and watched as Grimmjow closed his brilliant, blue eyes. "Come on, lets go clean up before we fall asleep, ne?"

Grimmjow grunted at him but complied and crawled out of bed. They made their way to the bathroom and took a quick, hot shower.

••••••

The orange head lay, comfortable in his boyfriend's embrace, and studied the man's sleeping face. He let his eyes wander down his strong neck to his chiseled chest and abdomen. He studied the scars that marred the skin there. He slowly let his finger tips brush them, looking to the sleeping man's face for any signs of waking up. When he found none, he let his slim fingers trace the marks.

They were kind of beautiful in a way, they certainly didn't detract from Grimmjow's good looks. In fact, they almost added to his rough and sexy appearance. Ichigo didn't understand why he was so self conscience about them. It had to come from whatever had made them. But what could have made such scars? It had to be something awful. A car accident maybe? They didn't really seem to fit the right kind of pattern for that though. Maybe he had been mauled by a big dog when he was little? He cringed at the thought, he knew Grimmjow didn't like dogs, but he didn't seem afraid of them either.

Grimmjow grunted and frowned in his sleep. Ichigo quickly pulled his hand back, knowing that the bigger man didn't like it when he touched them like this. He watched Grimmjow's face.

The man's blue brows were furrowed and Ichigo couldn't decide if he looked angry or scared. He wandered what he was dreaming about. Grimmjow's breathing picked up and he made a little whimpering noise, sniffing a bit. His hands twitched in their hold around Ichi and the orange head saw his him flex the muscles of his abdomen.

Wandering what was going on, Ichigo slowly sat up, letting the blue sheets pool in his lap, and contemplated waking the man up. Beside him, Grimmjow began shivering.

"Grimmjow?" Ichi said quietly, placing a hand on the man's arm. He felt hot to the touch and jumped slightly in his sleep. "Grimmjow, wake up..." Ichigo whispered to him, starting to worry, he shook the man's arm a bit. Grimmjow yelled and jumped, flinging himself from the bed. He landed on the floor with a groan. Ichigo scrambled to the edge of the bed and looked down, "Are you ok?"

But the blue haired man didn't answer him. He looked straight up at the ceiling, blue eyes wide, but he couldn't see Ichigo staring down at him. He jerked to a sitting position and scooted backward until his back was against the wall, where he sat and hugged his knees. His breathing was erratic and he looked panicked.

Ichigo stood from the bed and cautiously made his way to the frightened man. "Grimm? Are you ok? What's going on?"

Grimmjow shakily stood up and tried to run out the door, stumbling, he managed to catch himself on the door frame. One hand supporting him along the wall, the other wrapped around his stomach, he stumbled down the hall. Ichigo followed after him, having no idea what to do.

He made his way to the bathroom, where he collapsed. Ichigo followed him into the small room. Grimmjow sat in the corner, clutching at his chest and stomach, on the cool tile. Tears ran down his face and his eyes were wide and unseeing. His breathing was heavy and he looked like he was watching something horrible.

Ichigo knelt on the tile in front of him. He tentatively reached out and brushed Grimmjow's hand. "Grimm? Can you hear me?"

Grimmjow jumped and screamed at the contact, making Ichigo fall backward, onto his butt. He blinked his blue eyes a few times and slowly looked at Ichigo, an expression of realization and relief flooded his features. His chest heaving, he grabbed Ichigo and hugged him tight.

Ichigo could feel the bigger man shaking and wrapped his arms around his middle, hugging the man back. "A...are you ok now?" He whispered, still confused and a little frightened. He felt Grimmjow nod his head against his shoulder, his breathing still heavy like he had just come back from the gym.

Ichigo helped a shaky Grimmjow to his feet and they made their way back to the bed room. Grimmjow sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, Ichigo beside him. He wiped at his face and his hand came away wet. Had he really been crying this time? He looked over at Ichigo.

"What was that?" Ichigo asked quietly. He watched Grimmjow grimace and absently rub at his scars, his bright, blue eyes filled with something like pain and he let out a deep sigh. "What happened to you, Grimmjow?" He whispered. He felt terrible for the man, and he couldn't do anything to help.

Grimmjow closed his eyes for a moment. He let out another deep breath and rubbed at his chest and stomach some more before opening his eyes again, they held a far away look as he began to speak.

"My biological father had left my mother before I was born. He had told her he loved her, but he left anyway. She didn't handle it very well. She had done a good job raising me as a single parent. She tried really hard... It couldn't have been easy putting up with me. I wasn't a good kid, not really..." His voice was low and horse. He shook a little at whatever memories were plaguing him. "I did some stupid things, got into drugs for a while. Nnoi would escape the orphanage at night sometimes and we would get ourselves into even more trouble." Grimmjow paused. Swallowing a couple times and taking another deep breath. "Mom had always been religious. She used to tell me that the soul was at the very core of a being..." He wrapped one of his arms around his abdomen, the other brushed through his blue hair before he continued, his voice quiet. "she just couldn't handle it... she had a brake down when I was little, but she came back from the hospital after a few days and seemed fine again...but... one night, when I was sleeping..."

Grimmjow was shaking and had his eyes scrunched closed by this point and Ichigo wasn't sure he would be able to continue. "Grimm... you don't have to tell me if you don't want too..." He wrapped his arms around his struggling boyfriend.

Grimmjow hugged him back and continued, lost in his memories.

••••••

_It had been a hot night, and little Grimmjow had fallen asleep splayed across his small bed, the sheets draped over the edge and piled on the bare, wood floor. He was happy that his mom had gotten better so quick, it was hard living in their little house without her. The doctors had told him that she had something wrong with her brain, but they had been able to fix her. Everything would be normal again._

_The sound of his door creaking open woke him up and looked around the dark room._

"_Mom? What are you doing, it's late, you should be in bed too or you'll get sick again" _

_His mother smiled at him and crossed the room. "Your a good boy to worry about me, but I feel much better" She told him, sitting down on the edge of his bed. She looked down at him. "You know, the soul lies at the core of everyone. And sometimes, to save the people we love, we have to clean and purify the soul."_

"_Yeah, you tell me that all the time." young Grimm said to his mother, rolling onto his back and looking up at her. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes a little. Something shined in the dark beside her. He sat up, eyes going wide. "Mom, what..."_

_His mother pushed him back onto the bed, holding him down with a hand on his belly. Tears streaking her drawn and pale face, she raised the kitchen knife. "I have to save you... I can't loose you too..." She brought the knife down, over his heart, not hearing her only child's screams._

_Grimmjow screamed and fought with her. She hadn't had the strength to drive the blade through his rib cage. He struggled to keep the knife from slicing into the flesh of his stomach again. It burned and stung and his blood stained his shredded shirt and his once white sheets. He struggled and fell from the bed, knocking the air from his lungs. He panted, trying to regain his breath and crawled toward the door, he had to get away from this woman. His mother was always kind and loving, this couldn't be his mother._

_The woman grabbed him by his shorts, halting him from running away. She held him to the floor, one hand on his chest, the other holding the knife in her fist. She stabbed down, dragging it from his shoulder, across his stomach to his waist. "I have to clean your sole, you have to be free." she whispered to him in a soothing tone. "The sole is at the core..."_

_Grimmjow couldn't hear what she was saying, he couldn't hear anything over the sound of his own voice. He only saw her lips move and kicked at her, screaming in pain and terror and confusion. _

_He managed to get away again, the blood loss and fear making him dizzy. He was going to get sick, he could feel it. His stomach revolted at the treatment it was recieving. Something in his fuzzy mind kicked in and he stumbled into the bathroom to vomit in the toilet and not make a mess for his mom to clean up, blood creating a trail down the hall after him. _

_She fell on top of him, knife entering his gut. She twisted the blade around, trying to carve into his flesh. She shook as she did so, still weak from her trip to the hospital. _

_He managed to pull himself away from her, tears streamed down his face and he looked around, trying to figure out what to do. The door, he needed out. He stumbled past his mother, back toward the hall way. He slipped a little on something hot and sticky._

_She caught his foot, tripping him. He fell, shattering the mirror that had been hanging on the wall. Something faint registered in the background; the sound of banging coming from somewhere. _

_As his mother fell to her knees above him, again bringing down the serrated blade, Grimmjow closed his little hand around a jagged piece of the broken mirror._

••••••

Grimmjow shuddered, letting a few tears fall down his cheeks. "The last thing I remember...is seeing Nnoi... He was on his hands and knees next to me, screamin into a phone, but I couldn't hear him..." Grimmjow paused and took a few deep breaths. "She... she told me she loved me...I remember the smile on her face when she said it... with that piece of mirror sticking out of her throat..." Grimmjow put his face in his hands.

Ichigo covered his open mouth with his hand, his brown eyes wide. No wonder Grimmjow hated those scars so much. Everything they stood for was so twisted and wrong. Not only had his mother tried to kill him in a crazed, delusional state, but he ended up killing her...

The orange head threw his arms around his lover, the man seemed so small at this moment. "Oh my god, Grimm... Im so sorry..."

Grimmjow hugged him back. "Nnoi told me you would find out... that I would have to tell you eventually... I'm sorry Ichi..." Grimmjow was still crying and shaking in Ichigo's arms.

"I understand, you have nothing to be sorry for" He told the bigger man in a quiet voice, it was strange to see him so upset, but Ichigo really couldn't blame him.

"But... I killed my..."

Ichigo put a finger over Grimmjow's lips. "No. You didn't. The woman that did that was not your mother, Grimmjow." He said sternly, kissing the man. Ichigo grabbed the sides of Grimmjow's face in his hands, forcing eye contact. He continued in a quiet voice. "The woman that smiled and said she loved you was your mother. You set her free when you... destroyed whatever had been trapping her." He looked his lover in the eyes. "I know that she wouldn't blame you, Grimmjow. She would be happy that you were strong, that you survived."

Grimmjow had been told it all a million times, from anyone who ever found out about his past, but somehow, it meant more, made more sense coming from the man he loved, a man who had also lost his mother.

Ichigo laid down on the bed, pulling Grimmjow with him. The bigger man had stopped crying and he looked a little less broken now. Ichigo leaned over him, and kissed his chest, feeling the scars on his lips. He felt Grimmjow stiffen, but the man didn't push him away like he usually did.

The smaller man rested his head over Grimmjow's heart, gently running his fingers down the toned abdomen below him until Grimmjow's breathing evened out and he knew the man to be sleeping.

He didn't know how many hours he laid there, head resting on his lover's chest, making sure that Grimmjow stayed in a deep and peaceful sleep before he allowed his eyes to finally close and sleep to claim him as well.

**AN: Reviews are much appreciated! Let me know what you think**


	7. Fun and Games

**AN: sorry this took a bit longer than the other chapters. I had horrible writers block for some reason. Im still not terribly happy with this chapter, but its as good as its going to get**

**Try to enjoy anyway ^^**

**–––––  
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**Chapter 7: Fun and Games**

Renji walked out into the crisp, early morning air. The one working street lamp nearby flickered in and out before shutting off for the day and a few dirty scraps of trash swirled in the corner, stirred by the slight, smog scented breeze.

He lit up and slid the door to the old ware house closed behind him, running his fingers threw the tangled mess of his red pony tail. It had been a long night of negotiating and moving shipments, but he finally had what he needed. He owed them the other half of the payment and then he and that creep would have their deal squared away and all he would have to do was bide his time for the perfect opportunity.

He made his way out of the alley and crossed the street, he nodded to his bald second in command, a small smile present on his face. Ikkaku signaled to his men and one disappeared around the corner of the building. A few minutes later, a black SUV rolled out of the alley and pulled into the street.

Renji and his lieutenant disappeared into the crowd.

••••••

Ichigo woke to the sound of his phone going off. Jolting upright, he grabbed the phone and quickly silenced it. Looking around the room, the memories of the night before came flooding in like the sun light through the windows. He looked to the man next to him.

Grimmjow was still asleep, sprawled out across the bed, laying on his back. One arm was resting on his stomach, the other was wrapped around Pantera who was currently staring at Ichigo. At some point through out the night, Grimmjow had kicked off his blankets and they now lay on the floor beside the bed, exposing Grimmjow's naked form for the smaller man's viewing pleasure. His face looked calm and no evidence of the previous night's trauma could be found.

Ichigo sighed and looked down at his phone; a missed call from Shinji. He typed out a quick text and got out of bed, throwing on his boxers and making his way out of the room as quietly as he could. He heard the bell on Pan's jeweled collar jingle quietly as she jumped from the bed and followed him down the hall. He listened to Grimmjow shift at the loss of a warm body, and roll over but he made no move to wake up.

The orange head made his way to the kitchen, opening the fridge, he peered at it's contents. Then he started opening cupboards. Did Grimmjow just not eat breakfast? No oatmeal, nor bread for toast, not even a box of cereal. This guy really needed to make a trip to the store. Ichigo frowned and went back to the fridge. Well, he had eggs at least. He found a frying pan and cracked a few eggs in it, grabbing a few random vegetable items and a bag of shredded cheddar cheese, he went about making omelets. He grabbed the bag of beef jerky he had found in one of the cupboards and tossed a piece to Pan. She sat on the tile and chewed happily, making Ichigo smirk a little.

After breakfast was made, Ichigo set the table for two and went back down the hall. He threw the discarded sheets back onto the foot of the bed and sat down next to Grimmjow. He watched him for a few moments, unable to help himself. What? Grimmjow was fun to look at, who could blame him? After a few minutes, a small smile present on his face, he gently shook the larger man and called his name.

"mmm...what?" a still sleeping Grimmjow grumbled. He rolled over onto his other side, so that he was facing Ichigo and slowly opened one eye to look up at the man trying to wake him. He grumbled some more than said "smells good" in a rough, sleep heavy voice.

"I made breakfast, get up so we can eat before it gets cold." Ichigo said, still smiling down at him. He was pretty damn adorable when he was like this. Adorable in a hott, sexy, manly sort of way. Ichigo swallowed.

"Don't wanna..." Grimmjow said, closing his eyes again for a few moments. "Why you keep lookin at me like that?" He grumbled, eyes still closed.

Ichigo didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down and gave Grimmjow a fiery kiss. The man's eyes popped open, now fully awake. He rolled over, onto his back and pulled the orange head on top of him, wrapping his strong arms around the smaller man. He kissed Ichigo again, letting his tongue map the smaller man's mouth.

"Should wake me up like this every morning" He said, kissing the berry again. Ichigo smiled above him, about to take things a little further, until Grimmjow's belly issued a loud, insistent growl. The blue haired man let his head fall backward onto the pillow, closing his eyes, and released the smaller man from his grip. "Well, scratch that idea."

They both laughed and got out of bed. Grimmjow quickly dressed and Ichigo threw on a shirt and they made their way to the kitchen to eat.

••••••

Ichigo walked to his apartment, located near campus, after class. He and Shinji had work that night and his Advanced Terminology class had run late. He had no idea how one could make a class like that take two hours to begin with, but to make it last an extra hour was completely beyond him.

He never paid much attention to that particular class, it was fairly simple and straight forward and an easy grade. His mind had been on Grimmjow all day instead. It had first wandered to how the bluenette had drove him to class that evening after they spent the day together. His insane boyfriend had made sure that half the school got to see them kiss, a blush crept to his face just thinking about it. Someone in the crowd of students had dared to whistle, which only had served to prod Grimmjow on, making him give that devilish smile against Ichigo's lips and grab his ass. Ichigo wasn't a closet gay, he had no problem with people knowing his sexual preference, but he had still never given such a public display before.

But after a while, his mind had wandered back to Grimmjow's confession the night before. He still didn't really know how to feel about it. He certainly didn't see Grimmjow as a murderer or anything crazy like that. It had been self defense and he had only been a child at the time. He felt bad for what happened to him, but Ichigo knew better than to pity the man. That's what everyone had done, and Grimmjow had pushed them away. He wasn't the type to take to other people pitying him. Ichigo guessed that was why he only ever got introduced to a few people.

He just didn't know if he should bring it up or not. Either way, he was glad the man trusted him enough to tell him about the traumatic event.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at his apartment and had to hurry and get ready for work. He quickly donned a pair of black, dress pants and selected a pale, minty, green button up shirt to wear under his vest. He was brushing his teeth just as Shinji burst from his room. "'bout time ya get here!"

"Yeah, sorry, class ran late." They jumped into Shinji's car and sped off for Hueco Mundo.

••••••

Nnoitra and Grimmjow were busy cleaning up for the night, sanitizing everything, putting the tattoo guns back in cases and reorganizing the inks. Business had been going incredibly well. There was even a rumor going around that they had driven a rival parlor across town out of business.

Tomorrow would be their one year mark, they had a special going that would be sure to bring in even more customers to celebrate. The very first week they had been open last year they did a "bring a friend" special. They had people practically lined out the door waiting. This year they planned on doing a timed special. Two hours worth of inking was only one hundred bucks. Anyone wanting to get a large piece would crawl all over that deal. And now that they had the reputation to back their work, they really would have a line out the door. They also planned on putting price tags on some of the random paintings they had laying around that they didn't know what to do with.

"Isn't Ulqui supposed to be leaving again soon?" Grimmjow asked from across the parlor. Nnoitra always seemed to know what was going on with Ulquiorra. He suspected there might be something between the two, at least at one point, but couldn't bring himself to think about it too hard or ask. It was just too... weird.

"Think so, but he mentioned somethin about some local shit last time I talked to 'im." Nnoitra looked over at Grimm, done cleaning up his station. "Why?"

"I was thinkin we should get everyone together and hit the club again before he leaves. And we got to celebrate our one year anniversary." A wide smile split his handsome face.

A grin to match his friends pulled at Nnoitra's lips. "Sounds good. I'll text 'em." He pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly sent a text to Starrk and Ulquiorra. _"Hueco Mundo 11. Grimm wants 2c his boytoy" _

After a few minutes, he got a text back from their pale friend. "Well, Ulqui's in. Starrk'll probably show too, ya know how he is. Too lazy to text me back."

Grimmjow chuckled a little, Starrk had to be the laziest person he had ever met, but he was a good guy. They had known the man longer than they had Ulquiorra. Starrk had been with them almost from the beginning, another kid to grow up on the streets. "Is he ganna meet us there or should we pick him up?"

"I'm sure he'll want to drive. Lemme ask him real quick though." Nnoi sent another text as he and Grimm climbed into Grimmjow's GT-R. Ulquiorra was quick in his reply. "Nah, he said he'll meet us there, has somethin ta take care of first."

Neither of them said anything, knowing what their friend was more than likely talking about. The engine revved to life and Grimmjow peeled away from the curb, shifting gears, they tore through the city, headed south.

••••••

The club was busy and bar tending kept Ichigo and Shinji on their toes all night, but both of them loved it. Neither of them could imagine being at a job that had a desk, being up and moving around was a great change of pace after they had sat in classes all day long.

Shuhei was back in the DJ Box, the night couldn't go wrong with him mixing the tracks. Occasionally, he would make his way down to the dance floor after he set up a few tracks to dance to the music, but most of the time he would dance while in the box. He always wore clothes that were sure to show off his figure and turn heads. Who wouldn't pay attention to a hot, inked up man in a goth, fish net shirt?

Shinji's face split into a wide, piano keyed smile. A man with unmistakable, blue hair was making his way through the crowd, headed in their direction. Ichi's lover commanded attention even when he wasn't trying, the sea of people parted around him. The guy was just drop dead gorgeous. Shinji sighed, too bad the walking wet dream didn't have a twin. Ichigo was a lucky guy.

"Need a Blue, Ichi!" Shinji called from his side of the bar area "Hotty at the end of the counter, dear." He added with a classic, Shinji smile. He flipped his hair as turned back around, throwing a wink in Grimmjow's direction. The man nodded to him, gorgeous grin plastered to his face.

••••••

Nnoitra followed his blue haired friend into the club. The crowed split in two to allow them passage. Nnoitra grinned and used his height to scan the crowd for a worthy companion for the night's activities as they walked. A busty blond caught his attention, he let his eye wander her frame. By the time he finally made his way to her face, it was beat red and she was sending an embarrassed, slightly confused glare at Grimmjow as he passed by. Oh, her again. Rannn– something with a "G" in it. Nnoitra shrugged and followed his friend past the woman, not giving her a second thought.

Starrk had finally sent him a message as they had been walking through the doors, telling them he would be there soon. They had agreed to meet Ulqui and the lazy bastard at the bar. So they made their way in that direction.

They chose a couple of stools at the very end, Grimmjow flagged over one of the bar tenders, a slim man with pretty, blond hair wearing a baby pink shirt under his vest. The man started in their direction before he turned and called something out, turning back around and winking at them.

Nnoitra watched Grimmjow's shit eating grin spread across his face and nod to the bar tender. "Who's the blond? Ichi know 'bout 'im?" Nnoitra asked, turning to direct his attention back to the man behind the counter.

Grimmjow gave him a look that said he was an idiot. "That's Ichi's room mate, dumb ass. You met him when Ichi was stayin at my place, after he got beat up."

"Oh." Nnoitra stared at the blond who was serving drinks to a group that had just walked up. "He's got a nice ass. I think I'll keep 'im."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. The blond finally made his way to them. "Ichi's makin yer Blue, Mr. Jaegerjaquez." He giggled a little and leaned over the counter in front of Nnoitra. "What'll it be fer you, handsome?"

Nnoitra mirrored Shinji's smile. "a Beam 'n coke, beautiful." He said in a thick, husky voice, leaning in toward the slim blond. The shorter male giggled and turned from the bar to go make the drink. Nnoi watched him as he went, paying attention to the way he swayed his cute, little ass as he walked.

A few seconds later, the blond came back with two drinks. Nnoitra looked at him, a bit confused. The kid was a bar tender, did he not know that a beam and coke was one drink? He placed one in front of Nnoi and the other in front of the seat next to him.

"You remembered." A deep, baritone voice said from beside the lanky man. Nnoitra nearly jumped out of his seat, turning to see Starrk giving him a lazy grin. "You should pay more attention, Nnoi. Quit raping the poor kid with your eye."

The blond laughed. "Don't think I'm ganna stop ya." He said, winking at Nnoitra, lewd smile on his face. He turned to help another customer.

"I think your ganna have your hands full with that one, Nnoi." Grimmjow laughed from his other side. From what he had gathered of Ichigo's friend, the flirty blond could be quite the little player when he wanted to be. And right now, he was playing Nnoi pretty hard. Grimmjow snorted a little, the lanky bastard deserved it.

••••••

Ichigo finally made his way over to the end of the bar, where Shinji needed that Blue. He smiled when he caught sight of unmistakable blue hair and heard Grimmjow's deep laughter. So thats what he meant. It was like deja vu. He made is way to the man, being careful not to be seen.

"Blue Motherfucker?" He said, voice deep, and leaned against the counter, still smiling.

Grimmjow turned to him, a little surprised. "Why yes, I am." His grin doubled in size. He grabbed Ichigo by his collar and gave him a quick kiss before taking the drink.

Ichigo's face turned red, he looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Then he turned back to Grimm and smacked him on the arm. The blue haired man just laughed, which is about what Ichi had expected. He sent his classic scowl at the man.

"There a problem here?" A deep, gravelly voice asked from behind Grimmjow. The bluenette turned on his bar stool, smile falling a little, he craned his neck to look up. A beast of a man, almost as tall as Nnoitra, and sure as hell wider, stood behind him, looking down at him. The man was wearing an eye patch over one eye and his hair was gelled into some serious spikes. Were those bells hanging at the ends?

"Uhh... nope." The bluenette said, still looking up at the man. Grimmjow watched the man look past him, toward Ichi, before returning his attention to Grimm. The blue haired man watched the lone eye travel his frame, there was nothing sexual behind the look. It was a fighter's glance. The man seemed to be sizing up his opponent, appraising Grimmjow's prowess.

"He's right, Kenpachi." Ichigo sighed "This is actually my... boyfriend..." he told the big man, face even more red then before.

A smile erupted on Kenpachi's tanned and scared face. "Good fer you. If he gives ya too much shit, just let me know." With that, he dissolved back into the crowd.

"Well, ya wont see me startin any bar fights here." Nnoitra chimed in, making everyone laugh.

Ichigo wandered off to the other side of the bar to help some of the other patrons, shaking his head a little as he went.

••••••

Ulquiorra finally made an appearance, the others were well into their celebration. He took a seat next to Grimmjow, he ordered a beer from a blond bar tender and apologized for his tardiness.

"There has been quite a bit of local activity recently. Mostly small things that I would not normally be called in for. But those small activities are beginning to add up."

"Activities? What the hell's that mean?" Nnoitra asked, leaning over the bar and looking past Grimmjow, to the smaller man.

Ulquiorra raised a fine, black brow in response.

Starrk elbowed Nnoitra. "Top secret." He managed to mumble past a yawn. He and Nnoitra turned their attention back to Ulqui.

The petite man blinked his large, green eyes before giving a simple nod of his head. It probably wouldn't hurt to go into a little more detail since they were just small time, local thugs. But he had always made it a point to keep his friends out of his business. It really was in their best interest. They knew enough that if he told them not to ask or that they needed to stay distant from him for a while, they listened. They were good friends, his only friends really, and he wanted to keep them in the living category.

"Hey, blondie!" Nnoitra called out to Shinji. The slim man sauntered over. "You're coming home wit me, what time ya get out a here? Oh, refill please." He added, holding up his glass.

Ulquiorra watched said blond smile and hand his lanky friend another drink. "I think it'd be best if ya came home with me." The man winked and leaned over the counter, resting his elbows on the bar, obviously flirting. "Think ya've had a few too many ta drive, love." Ulquiorra snorted quietly, at least the blond had some common sense. All of his friends seemed to be on their way to being drunk. He turned to look at Grimmjow. He was practically drooling over the orange haired bar tender that was making his way over.

••••••

Ichigo made his way back to Grimmjow and his group, another Blue in hand. He paused a little when he caught sight of the small, pale man with the green running down his face.

Grimmjow must have seen him falter a little, the bigger man waved him closer. "He wont bite, babe." he whispered into Ichigo's ear.

Ichigo shuttered a little and frowned. "I know that." He set the Blue down in front of his lover. "What can I get for you? You look like your out" He asked, turing to the paler man and pointing to his glass.

The petite male studied him for a bit, then said "My name is Ulquiorra. When last we met, it was under less than favorable conditions. I apologize."

Ichigo hesitated, then nodded his head. "Ichigo" He said, introducing himself. "It's nice to meet you under... friendlier circumstances." Ichigo added with a small smile.

The man nodded. "I'll just have a beer. Someone must stay sober enough to drive these fools home."

"Good plan." Ichigo turned and retrieved the beverage for the newest addition to the little party.

••••••

After several hours of enjoying themselves and drinking, the club was closing it's doors for the night and patrons were filing out the door. Grimmjow, Nnoi, Starrk and Ulquiorra still sat at the bar.

Kenpachi made his way back to the bar and sat down. "Time to go, boys. Club's closed." He said to the tipsy men.

Shinji stopped cleaning up and walked over. "Their waitin' on us fer rides" He smiled at the bouncer, then turned to Nnoi. "Aint that right, handsome?"

Nnoitra let his grin split his face. "Hell yeah it is."

Kenpachi rolled his eye and walked away, making Shinji laugh. The man never did like hearing about peoples personal business. "Hey, Ichi, ya almost done?" Shinji asked, turning to lean back against the counter. He felt long, thin fingers run through his hair and knew it to be Ichi's lover's friend, Nnoi. He hadn't been able to get the man out of his mind since the first time he met him, at Grimmjow's apartment when Ichigo had ran into Renji's gang.

Ichigo walked over to stand beside his friend. "Yep, just finished. I'm guessing you want the apartment?" He said in a suggestive voice, grinning at his flirtatious best friend.

Shinji just laughed and Ichi shook his head, turning to look at Grimmjow. His boyfriend had obviously had plenty to drink. "Guess I'm going home with you again tonight."

A suggestive smile split the blue haired man's face and his tongue flick over his bottom lip. "I was ganna make ya weather you wanted to or not."

Ichigo snorted a little, it wasn't like he would have tried to put up a fight anyway. He looked down the bar a little, to the man with the shoulder length brown hair. He seemed to already be sleeping. "Where does he live? I can give him a ride before we go to Grimm's."

Ulquiorra piped in. "Don't bother, I shall give him a ride, he lives nearest to my place anyway. He and his girlfriend can come pick up his truck in the morning." He stood from his stool and pulled his light jacket on. Starrk got up and they walked out the door.

"It's settled then, lets get goin." Grimmjow pushed away from the counter, grabbing Ichigo's hand. His face was a little flushed and he couldn't keep himself from drinking in the sight of his lover. "Hey, do you even know how to drive a stick?" He asked honestly, his car was a manual and he'd be damned if anyone stripped the gears in his baby.

Shinji and Nnoitra burst out laughing. "Pretty sure ya should already know he can handle a stick just fine, Grimm." Nnoitra said between his laughter.

Ichigo's face started to turn red, and he started dragging his blue haired lover to the door. "See ya later, Shin." He said over his shoulder, waving to the blond.

"Later, Ichi! Have fun~" Shiji shouted after him.

"Oh, we will." The orange head said from the door, smiling at his best friend

••••••

"I was serious you know, about driving a manual." Grimmjow said as they made their way to his car. "Do you know how to drive stick?"

Ichigo scoffed and climbed into the driver seat. "Of course, I may be gay but I'm still a man." He adjusted the mirrors and seat and turned the key, letting the engine purr to life. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Grimmjow's apartment.

••••••

The leader of Zabimaru sat on the floor in his cramped apartment, bills were spread out in a few, even stacks on the low coffee table in front of him. The TV was on, some porn channel he stole off his neighbors satellite, but he wasn't really watching. It was just back ground noise.

He stubbed his cigarette out in the over flowing ash tray as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he flipped it open and read the screen. Renji smiled to himself.

"_Little blue nissan. chromed out, dark windows. sounds like stick."_

Well thats a start. The red head sent a quick reply back; "_Thats good enough for the night. Leave them for now."_ He deleted the message. Smiling to himself, he went back to counting.

**––––**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	8. Hunter and Hunted

**AN: It's almost 4:30 am here and I'm really tired but I couldn't wait any longer to share this chapter with you guys. I'm actually pretty happy with it. Sorry if I made you wait to long, I hope you guys enjoy~  
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**Chapter 8: Hunter and Hunted**

It was early morning, the sun just beginning to tint the edges of the horizon with yellows and oranges. After Ichigo had driven Grimmjow home, the bluenette had collapsed in a heap on the bed, out cold. He had apparently drank more than either of them had realized. Ichigo had stripped him down to his boxers before tucking him in. He had curled up next to the slumbering man, but sleep had been evading him. After a couple hours he had gotten up and wandered out to the main room. He considered going to the store and stocking Grimmjow's pantry but in the end, he was too tired for that.

Ichigo heard murmuring coming from down the hall. He wondered if the drunken man had woken up for some reason. Ichigo walked back down the hall toward the bed room. He paused mid step when he heard his lover's deep voice curse quietly, but his hesitation didn't last long. Opening the door and stepping into the darkened room, he could see that Grimmjow was still asleep.

His brow was furrowed into a frown, a small snarl on his lips. He twitched in his sleep and grunted. Ichigo could hear his breathing quicken even from across the room and he knew that he was having another nightmare. He slowly made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge. Grimmjow gasped quietly, opening his eyes. Ichigo thought he was looking at him for a moment, till his brilliant blue eyes started to roll back and he made another sound in the back of his throat.

He couldn't sit back and watch the man suffer through it, he had seen Grimmjow go through this one other time and once was more than enough. Ichigo reached out and brushed his fingers along Grimmjow's smooth cheek. "It's alright, Grimm, wake up." He whispered, leaning over to better see the blue haired man's face in the dark room. Grimmjow flinched at the contact but didn't wake.

Ichigo tried again "It's just a dream, Grimm." He said a little louder, shaking Grimmjow's arm a little. The man bolted up, yelling horsely and snapped his fist out to the side, catching Ichigo hard in the shoulder. He was thrown from the bed with a thud. Groaning a little, he sat up in time to see Grimmjow scrambling out the door. His classic, hot headed tempor getting the better of him, he stood up and followed after the fleeing figure.

Ichigo rounded the bathroom door, an angry retort on the tip of his tongue until he saw Grimmjow. His anger died in his throat.

The man was heaving his insides out into the toilet, shaking with the effort and breathing harshly. Ichigo's features softened and he moved to sit next to the exhausted looking man, putting his hand on his arm. Grimmjow jumped and backed away, eyes wide and terrified but not seeing the world in front of him.

"shit..." Ichigo whispered quietly. He was still lost in his nightmare. "Grimmjow... It's me, it's Ichigo" He said in a calm voice, watching for anymore signs that he might strike out again. He tentatively reached out, just barely touching him. "Grimm? Are you ok?"

Grimmjow jumped, gasping he blinked a few times to clear his vision, chest heaving. He took in his surroundings before letting his vision fall on the man kneeling in front of him. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but threw himself at the toilet instead, dry heaving whatever else could have possibly been in his stomach. He groaned and started to push himself to his feet, flushing as he went.

Ichigo stood by his side, looking up at him with concern. "are you ok?" He whispered, still a little uncertain.

Grimmjow shook his head. "s..sorry I woke you..." he said, taking a shaky step for the door. He clutched at his head and groaned again. "fuck." he mumbled, pulling Ichigo into a hug. Nothing like waking up, scared shitless, from a nightmare to a killer hang over. He could feel the orange head chuckle a little in his grip. "S'not funny." he said weakly, reaching to turn the light off. He froze as he looked at the smaller man.

"What?" Ichigo asked with a small frown, looking up at Grimmjow.

"Did... I do that?" He asked in a harsh whisper, looking to the front of Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo looked down at himself, there was a red mark, but nothing serious, it wouldn't even bruise. But it was still in a distinctive fist shape. He winced and looked back up at Grimmjow, knowing the man would be furious with himself. "It's not a big deal" He could see Grimmjow's eyes widen at his admission. He quickly added "I think I scared you, you didn't know it was me and you were still sleeping."

Grimmjow pulled Ichigo to him and kissed the spot tenderly. "I'm sorry.." he whispered against Ichigo's skin, leaning down to rest his head on the shorter man's shoulder.

Ichigo snaked his arms around Grimmjow's middle, he still seemed a bit shaken from the nightmare. "Come on" he said, leading the bigger man out of the bathroom. "Let's go back to bed so you can sleep off some more of that hang over."

"Hnn..." was all Grimmjow could muster as he allowed Ichigo to take care of him. The orange head put him back to bed, leaving the room for a few minutes. He came back with a couple of pain killers and a glass of water. Grimmjow gratefully accepted them before drifting back into a deep sleep, Ichigo pressed against his side.

••••••

Nnoitra was slowly pulled from his dream by the feeling of heat pooling in his belly. He moaned a little, mind still struggling to wake itself up. Finally, as pleasure began to consume him, he opened his eye and looked down. A blond head bobbed up and down in his lap. His breath caught as he put all the pieces together.

He reached down and threaded his long fingers through fine, golden locks. The man hummed at his touch, sending shivers down Nnoitra's spine from the vibration along his shaft.

The tall, lanky man moaned again and bucked his hips a little. Shinji held him from moving anymore with a hand on his hip, the other he used to stroke what he couldn't reach with his mouth and tongue.

"aah... shit, Shinji..." Shinji smirked a little around the cock in his mouth, at least Nnoitra hadn't gotten so drunk last night that he couldn't remember his name. He felt Nnoi's fingers flex in his hair as the length he was sucking twitched, signaling the bigger man's release.

Nnoitra gave a deep groan and let his head fall back on the pillow while he rode out his orgasm. Shinji kept bobbing, draining everything he had before pulling away with a pop and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. He smiled at the flushed man laying in his bed.

" 'Mornin, handsome" Shinji said cheerfully, climbing his way up Nnoitra to straddle his hips. He leaned in and kissed the man below him. "How did ya sleep?"

Nnoitra grunted at the blond "Slept fine, wakin up was better, though." He grinned up at the man seated above him, revealing straight teeth.

"Good, coz I ain't done yet." Shinji arched his back, pulling himself up a little. He reached a hand behind him and grabbed Nnoitra's already hard again member and guided himself down. Nnoitra helped him, his hands on slim hips. Shinji moaned as he ever so slowly lowered himself until Nnoitra was fully sheathed. He squeezed his eyes shut, needing a few moments to adjust.

Soon enough, the blond couldn't handle it anymore. He raised himself and dropped down again. Nnoitra gasped and ran his blunt nails down pale, smooth thighs.

"Shit... hnnn..." Nnoitra panted out, pacing Shinji the whole way with thrusts of his own. "didn't know... ya were so aggressive.." He let his eye roll closed, still thrusting up into the smaller man. Shinji was panting above him, moaning and grunting with pleasure and effort. He could feel the smaller man's muscles begin to tremble a little and decided it was time for a position change.

He grabbed the blond by the hips and flipped them over, placing himself on top. His smile consumed his face as Shinji gasped and looked up at him, eyes wide for a moment before he smiled and wiggled his hips around a little. Nnoitra groaned and took the bate. He grabbed Shinji's wrists, pinning them above his head, and started pounding into the blond. "I'm 'a make ya scream" he ground out between breaths as Shinji cried out.

The blond struggled a little in the big man's firm grasp, but only for the erotic fun of it. He moaned and cried out, unable to control his sounds of pleasure even if he had wanted to. Nnoitra's large cock was impaling him with deadly accuracy, striking his prostate with nearly every thrust. "Haah... Nnoiiii–" Shinji could feel his release nearing. After a few more thrusts from the larger man, his orgasm was ripped from him and he screamed in pleasure.

Nnoitra watched as hot cum covered the blond's lean belly. He thrust a few more times before Shinji's tight heat milked his length and pulled his own orgasm from him. Panting, he fell to the smaller man's side, pulling out. He gathered the trembling blond in his long arms and pulled him close.

They lay there, catching their breath for several minutes before Shinji giggled and sat up. He kissed the taller man and got out of bed. A very sated Nnoitra followed him to the shower.

••••••

Large, green eyes looked out through binoculars. He hadn't been given permission to assassinate the target yet, merely watch and see if he could learn where the arms dealer was sending his most recent shipment. Ulquiorra was fairly certain the man was dealing to a small time, local gang in the area, how that gang had gotten the money to pay for the shipment was beyond him, but that wasn't part of his assignment. Just watch, learn what he could about the movements and dealings.

He hadn't brought his sniper rifle, a matt black M110 SASS with a Leupold Mk4 3.5-10x40mm M2 scope with his signature, vivid, green number four on the stock. It was a fairly standard issue, US military sniper with a few modifications, but it was trusty and had yet to fail him. He had acquired it while on a mission a few years back, quickly replacing his previous rifle for the M110. The old one sat, locked in a case in his apartment as a spare.

The rifle was too large to run around the city with, but he knew the quickest route to get to where he had it stored. He settled for placing a couple of Glock pistols and a portable, collapsable scope on his person, just in case there would be a need. He rarely went anywhere without a weapon of some sort anyway, and the Glocks were dependable yet small enough to easily conceal, while still packing a punch. They were decent, well rounded handguns.

For now, he sat on a roof top a few blocks away and watched an abandoned ware house. He could have put a team together and stormed the building, eliminating the threat before it was an issue, but his contractor was hopping to take down the buyers as well and keep things as legal as possible. Ulquiorra shrugged a little at the thought, oh well. He couldn't care less, he would carry out his orders and see his mission through.

He watched a black SUV roll down the road, passing by the alley way entrance to the ware house. It was the same vehicle he had seen circle the area two other times in the past hour now. They were being more careful than he would have expected from a small time group.

Ulquiorra couldn't quite see the person that was driving through the tinted windows, but he could make out a rough outline. The figure seemed to be male, and looked to be holding a hand to his face, talking on a phone most likely. The vehicle and the dealer must be in contact. He absently wondered if he had been spotted but dismissed the notion, as it was highly improbable. They were more likely being cautious because it was mid day and citizens were out and about at this time. The vehicle drove off, turning in the opposite direction of the ware house this time.

Ulquiorra backed away from the edge of the building in a crouch, he would change locations just in case. It paid to be careful in this line of work.

Dropping from the ledge, he landed on a fire escape several feet down and made his way to the alley floor below. Adjusting his tie, he tucked his hands into his pockets, pushing his long, black coat out of his way to flow behind him. Looking like just another business man on his way to lunch, he made his way into the crowded street.

••••••

It was just past noon when Grimmjow climbed out of bed and made his way to the main room of his apartment. He sank into the couch beside a smirking Ichigo. "What?" He mumbled at the man.

Ichigo got up without a word and walked into the kitchen, Grimmjow could hear him rummaging around in the fridge. A few minutes later he came back with a take out bag and laid the contents out on the coffee table in front of them. Grimmjow smirked and leaned over to kiss the berry on the cheek. Tacos, the all around hang over cure, and a bottle of pain killers sat on the table in front of him.

Ichigo handed one to the blue haired man and took a bite of his own. "You know, you really should go to the store more often. You have like nothing here."

Grimmjow grunted around a mouthful before he swallowed. "Yeah, don't have much free time since I'm usually at Grind all day." He paused, looking at the orange head sitting beside him. "You ganna start cookin for me more so I have a reason to buy groceries?" He was surprised to see Ichi nod his head slightly.

"I would like to." He said, small smile on his lips. "But you would owe me"

Grimmjow sat back and put on the most convincing face he could, trying to look like he was in deep contemplation at the prospect. After a few seconds, a wide grin slowly spread on his handsome face. "Deal."

Ichigo laughed and nodded. He couldn't help the slightly giddy feeling in the pit of his stomach. They had unofficially agreed that he would be moving in with the bigger man and they would live together. Of course they would have to talk about it, rather than just hint at it, but he was pretty sure there wouldn't be any problems.

After downing half a dozen tacos and a couple of the pain killers, Grimmjow sat back, feeling much better than he had been. He thought about last night and waking up after his nightmare. He frowned a little. Reaching over, he grabbed Ichigo's shirt and started to lift it.

Ichigo grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Geeze, give me a warning at least." he told the bigger man.

Grimmjow chuckled a little and rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to check your shoulder, perv." He said, smile still in place.

"Sure ya did." Ichigo said, laughing at him. "It's fine though" He saw Grimmjow arch a blue brow at him. "I promise, you can't even see it anymore." He pulled his shirt over his head for the blue haired man. "See?"

Grimmjow let his eyes travel down the expanse of tanned and toned skin in front of him before confirming what Ichigo said. He gave a slight nod and the smaller man started to replace the t-shirt. Grimmjow grabbed it from his hands and tossed it across the room, it landed near the kitchen entrance.

Ichigo shook his head and got up to retrieve the shirt. He smirked when he heard Grimmjow get off the couch and follow him.

"What do ya think your doin?" The man said, his voice sounding a little deeper than it had a few seconds ago. "You really don't need that."

Ichigo didn't answer him. Smirking, he bent over enticingly and pretended to grab his shirt, ensuring the man behind him had a great view of his ass. He heard Grimmjow swallow and suddenly he was being lifted in the air. He let out a quiet squeal and wrapped his legs around Grimmjow's hips for support, looking down at his face.

Grimmjow just smiled lewdly at him and walked over to the kitchen counter, setting Ichigo down on the smooth surface. He tore his own shirt off, dropping it to the tile and leaned over to kiss the spot he had inadvertently hit the night before. He made his way up Ichigo's neck to his jaw, listening to the way the smaller man's breath hitched at the attention.

Ichigo was clawing lightly at Grimmjow's wide, strong back and whimpering under the larger man's ministrations. The bluenette made his way to Ichigo's lips, seizing them in a possessive and heated kiss. He swiped his tongue along a full bottom lip and was granted access. Dominating Ichigo's tongue with his own, Grimmjow reached down and started to pull the gym shorts over his slim hips.

The smaller man lifted himself off the counter with his arms, just enough to allow Grimmjow to slip his shorts and boxers off. The cloth fell to the floor and he began to attack the sweat pants Grimmjow had thrown on earlier. He felt Grimmjow smile against his lips, the bigger man's tongue still exploring his mouth. They broke for air and Ichigo started to jump down from the counter, until the bluenette stopped him.

Grimmjow growled low in his throat and placed a big hand in the middle of Ichigo's chest, he pushed back lightly, making the smaller man lean back against the wall behind him. He stuck his fingers in Ichi's mouth and smiled as he felt a hot, wet tongue diligently coat his digits. He hummed, a low sound deep in his chest, and bent down to lick his way up Ichigo's exposed abdomen. He grabbed hold of Ichigo's hard member and gave a light squeeze, making the smaller man gasp and release his fingers. Pumping his hand up and down Ichigo's shaft slowly, he pushed his index finger past the tight ring of muscle and into tight heat.

Ichigo gasped again and arched his back a little, panting, he grabbed at Grimmjow's forearm. He felt Grimmjow add another finger and squeezed his eyes shut, moaning at the sensation. He clutched at the edge of the counter and spread his legs further. "haah... Grimm–..." he panted out, trying to form complete thoughts. Grimmjow continued sliding his fingers in and out of his entrance and it was driving him crazy. "mmm... more..." He groaned out.

Grimmjow pulled his fingers out, unable to deny his lover. He lined up and slowly eased into Ichigo's tight heat. Making his own sounds of pleasure, Grimmjow pulled back and thrust into Ichigo again. The smaller man cried out as his prostate was struck, spurring Grimmjow into a faster pace. He pounded into the smaller man, groaning his pleasure.

"H...harder... Grimm...more.." Ichigo's voice was deep and low and it went straight to Grimmjow's hard cock. He grabbed the smaller man's waist and lifted him from the counter. Setting him back on the ground, he turned him around and pushed him over the counter. Grabbing Ichigo's hips for leverage, he entered him and started up a brutal pace.

Ichigo cried out, fingers raking at the counter top. He gasped when he felt a warm hand wrap around his aching cock and begin stroking in time with Grimmjow's powerful thrusts. The pleasure built and heat pooled in his belly while he did his best to meet Grimmjow thrust for thrust. He could feel his release hurdling toward him. "Grimm..." he panted, "I'm... I'm ganna..." His seed coated the bigger man's hand. Gasping, he felt Grimmjow bite at the junction between his shoulder and neck.

Grimmjow growled into the flesh he had bitten and gave a few more powerful thrusts into Ichigo before following him with his own orgasm. Moaning, he road out the waves of his release. He slowly pulled out, trying to catch his breath and sank to the tile on shaky legs, Ichigo following him to the floor.

••••••

Ulquiorra watched as a tattooed man with a bandanna wrapped around his red hair casually made his way into the back alley across the street from his position. He had relocated to a place he would be able to watch the street and the door in the alley that the targets had been using.

A slight frown marred his brow. The man seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place why. He couldn't remember actually seeing him, but something clawed at the back of his brain. It would probably come to him later, he thought, when he was done with his assignment or some time when it wouldn't matter anymore.

He continued to watch as the red head peered down the alley before rapping his knuckles against the door of the ware house. The man shouted something and the door slowly slid open. A white haired man with slitted eyes greeted him and the two exchanged words. Ulquiorra couldn't hear what was said from where he was at.

The red head peered down the alley and nodded his head to the bald man hidden at the end, then entered the building. The assassin shifted his focus back to the bald associate. The man was leaning against the brick wall at the end of the alley, Ulquiorra could see that the man was armed. It appeared he had other partners near by the way he kept pressing his hand to his ear and mumbling into his ear piece. The bald man shifted his weight and pulled his phone from his pocket, and glanced at the screen. He made a face, Ulquiorra guessed it to be a look of mild disgust, before he typed a quick reply and replaced the phone back in his pocket.

••••••

Ikkaku nodded to his boss as Renji entered the ware house. He called through his head piece, letting the other members know it was a go. The bald headed man leaned back against the brick wall, he was covered in shadow and didn't really need to worry about any citizens noticing him, they were all too busy with themselves to pay a lone man in an alley any mind.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, making him jump slightly. Must be Yumi updating him. Huffing out a sigh, he grabbed it and read the message, curling his lip a little as he did.

"_Quite the show~ they should really learn to close the curtains before going at it like that ;)" _

Ikkaku almost dropped his phone. What the fuck. He was convinced his effeminate partner was trying to make him loose his lunch. He sent a quick reply back to the man. _"Creep. Just tell me if they leave the apartment."_

••••••

"Alright, lets get goin before it gets dark out." Grimmjow chuckled at the sight of Ichigo going through all his cupboards, making a list of what they needed.

After their romp in the kitchen, they had taken a long, hot shower. He had considered a round two with the enticing berry, but settled for cuddling when Ichigo had melted into his arms, resting his head on Grimmjow's broad chest. They stood under the hot spray, enjoying the feel of each other and slowly washing off until the water had started to run cold. Grimmjow never knew a shower could be so enjoyable and so sweet.

Ichigo had shampooed his blue hair for him, messaging his slim fingers through his soft hair and across his scalp. Grimmjow had given the smaller man an all over body message while washing him down with a sweet scented, bubbly soap.

After almost an hour of soft caresses and innocent kisses, they had finally dragged themselves out the relaxing shower and dressed. They lounged around for a while, simply enjoying each other's company before deciding to leave for the store so Ichi could get what he would need for dinner that night.

"Ok, don't think I've missed anything" Ichigo answered him with a smile, looking up from his list. They headed for the door, donning light jackets as they went. The air had begun to cool down with the approach of night.

As they left the apartment, Grimmjow paused in the door way, "You guard the place, Pan" he said, looking down at the cat as she watched them leave. He locked the door behind him and turned. "What?"

Ichigo was watching him with a grin on his face. "Oh nothin" He said laughing and turning to flee toward the car when Grimmjow lunged at him. He laughed when Grimmjow tackled him into a hug, pulling him close.

"What ya laughin at?" The blue haired man asked, smirking down at the captured berry in his arms.

"Your cute when you talk to your cat" Ichigo said, a small smile lit his features. He hugged Grimmjow around the middle before pulling away and climbing into the passenger seat of the little blue car.

Grimmjow chuckled at him and climbed into the driver's seat. He pulled out the parking lot and headed toward the store.

••••••

Ulquiorra had been sitting in his car for the past several hours. He had followed the red head, whom he judged to be the leader of the little gang, to a run down, dingy little apartment complex in a shabby section of the city. His little black '69 Stingray wasn't exactly a good car for blending in, the old, American hot rod drew quite a few jealous stares, but it also wasn't what you would expect an assassin to drive so he wasn't terribly worried about it. He was just about to call it a day when the red headed man burst from his door in such a hurry he almost didn't even close it. His phone was attached to his ear and a smile marred his face. The man jumped into the black SUV that had been parked across the street and squealed tires away from the curb, pulling into the road and cutting a passing car off. Ulquiorra counted to ten before starting his car and calmly following after the black vehicle, making sure to keep a couple cars between them. The nagging sensation that he should know who the man was had returned and he frowned, tossing his image around in his mind as he drove.

••••••

Renji finally got the call he had been waiting for all evening. He jumped from his couch, phone held to his ear. Fucking finally. "Are they together?" He was practically shaking with his excitement. "Good, that will make things easier." he paused, throwing on a dark hoodie and grabbing his keys. "Yeah, on my way... No, keep me informed." He said into the phone, running out the door. He stopped a few feet from the apartment and ran back to the door, closing it and heading for the SUV again.

He absently fingered the uzi pistol that was concealed at his side in it's holster, under his hoodie as he crossed the street. The small fire arm was a capable of fully automatic or bust fire, depending on what he needed it to do, and loaded hand gun shells. Yumi was busy rambling directions into his ear and he recognized the name of the street he said they were headed down. He pulled away from the curb, headed in the same direction the target vehicle was driving. "Yumi, radio Ikkaku and have him inform the others." A sick smile twisted his features. "Tonight, he's ours."

**AN: Comments are welcome, let me know what you thing**


	9. Life and Death

**Chapter 9: Life and Death**

Ulquiorra followed behind the black SUV he was tailing, they were headed east, toward a busier district of the city, where the shops, malls and stores were located. He continued to struggle with the man's identity, it grated on his mind and he knew the red headed thug should be familiar to him. Something finally clicked, and Ulquiorra realized he was, in some way, related to Grimmjow's boyfriend, but he still couldn't place how. He wracked his brain as he drove, always keeping the vehicle a few cars in front of him.

They turned left at an intersection, headed north now and Ulquiorra lost sight of the vehicle for a few minutes. He kept his eyes peeled, looking for the missing car and kept heading down the same road, positive that the SUV hadn't turned down a side street. It wasn't uncommon to loose sight of a target like this and his training and experience kept him calm and unworried.

The thug couldn't have been a friend of Grimm's man or he would have seen them together at some point and he was still convinced he had never actually seen the red head before. Ulquiorra was good with faces, it was part of his job. He had also determined that Ichigo was an honest and decent kid, not the type to get mixed up with gangs.

His mind wandered to his first meeting with the orange haired young man. He remembered his unexpected conversation with Nnoitra on the phone that night and it dawned on him. Nnoi had told him about finding Ichi being attacked by a red head covered in tribal tattoos. Eyes widening a little, he glanced at the street signs he passed.

"Shit.." he cursed under his breath, finally relocating the SUV he was trailing. It was at least a mile in front of him now, he looked to the street signs again. Grabbing his phone with one hand, the other on the steering wheel, he quickly dialed his blue haired friend's number.

••••••

The trip through the store had been blessedly quick, Grimmjow was so glad he was gay at that moment. He had always hated grocery shopping, the screaming children and crazy mothers just weren't his thing. It was all too domestic for his tastes. Ichigo hadn't taken hours to go through each and every aisle like the women he knew usually did. They had just went down the ones they would need and quickly found what they had on their list and threw it into a cart.

They walked out of the sliding doors, a few plastic bags of food stuffs each, and headed toward where Grimmjow had parked. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but had his hands full, and he figured it was probably just Nnoi wanting to tell him all about his sexual escapades with Ichigo's blond friend. Grimmjow rolled his eyes. The man could wait a few minutes until they got home.

The store had been pretty busy and they had parked near the back, but the weather was mild and the parking lot well lit in the setting sun. Street lamps flickered on and they loaded the trunk.

Grimmjow closed the hatch, he playfully swatted Ichigo's butt as the orange head turned to walk around the car. Ichi paused, sending a pathetic attempt at an angry glare the bluenette's way. Grimmjow barked a laugh. "So, after dinner, you're serving dessert, right?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes before smirking. "I was thinking it was your turn to serve dessert" He said with a sly smile, "I even bought a pretty blue apron..." He turned back to the car, looking over his shoulder and let his tongue slid across his full lips slowly. He laughed at the look Grimmjow gave him and quickly slid into the car, closing the door before the bigger man could pull him out and have his way with him in the parking lot.

Grimm ran around to the driver side, climbing into the car, he leaned his elbow on the middle counsel, placing his chin on his fist. He smirked, raising a brow at his lover.

Ichigo watched the slow smile spread across the bigger man's face. His pants tightened and he shivered a little at the promises hidden behind those pearly white teeth and sinful blue eyes. He leaned over and gave Grimmjow a heated kiss, running his fingers through soft, wild, blue locks before pulling away. "Lets hurry and make dinner"

Grimmjow let out a chuckle and put the car in drive, looking back to the windshield, and switched the radio on. Mind wondering to all the things he wanted to do after Ichi cooked him dinner, he pulled out of the parking lot and head north, toward his apartment.

••••••

The phone rang for a few minutes before going to Grimmjow's voice mail. "Damnit, Grimm, pick up the damn phone" Ulquiorra quietly mumbled, ending the call. Of all times for the man to not be paying attention to his phone, now was under the worst possible circumstances. He pulled one of his Glocks out of its holster at his side, sliding the clip out with a sure and practiced hand, he glanced down. Good, it was fully loaded and ready to go, as he knew it would be. He removed the safety and placed it back in the holster before doing the same to his other gun. He suddenly wished he had his sniper rifle, but it was too far away at the moment. He didn't have time for detours, he would have to make do with what he had. He picked up his phone and tried again, quickly dialing Grimm's number off the top of his head.

••••••

The little blue Nissan pulled into the parking lot, selecting a space just a few rows back. Renji stood, puffing on a cigarette and leaning against the brick of the building that the blue haired man lived in. It was a nice car. Obviously the blue haired owner had put a lot of time into it, he absently hopped he would be able to keep the damage to it minimal. A sadistic smile creased his face as he sent a stream of blueish grey smoke curling into the night air.

He would finally have his revenge on that orange haired faggot. The bitch deserved to die, he didn't care that they used to be friends. The thought tugged at his mind and he snorted, flicking his smoked cigarette to the ground. Could he even say that a murderer like the strawberry could have ever been his friend? Not a chance.

He watched the head lights shut off as the engine was killed. The sound of deep laughter drifted toward him and he sneered in their direction. Disgusting. The blue haired fucker probably didn't even know he was screwing around with a monster.

••••••

Grimmjow rolled into his parking lot, he turned the car off, still laughing at Ichigo's attempt at singing to the radio. Ichigo sat in the passenger seat, holding his gut as he laughed through the lyrics, even though the radio was quiet now. They climbed out of the car, Grimmjow's phone ringing again. He absently fished it from his pocket and answered it, still chuckling in his mirth.

••••••

Ulquiorra listened to the phone ring a few times, thinking the man would probably ignore his phone again. When Grimmjow picked up, laughing into the phone a bit, he blew a sigh of relief. "Grimmjow." He could hear the blue haired man's lover laughing in the background, and it sounded like they were outside. The red head was probably there by now, or at least close. He had lost sight of the vehicle again and traffic had gotten heavy with people rushing to get home for the night.

"Oh, hey Ulqui. What's up?" Grimmjow's tone was light and happy.

"Where are you?" Ulquiorra turned down the street that would take him to Grimm's apartment complex.

"Just got home. Somethin' wrong?" Ulquiorra could hear the frown in his voice. Then he heard his friend's partner suddenly stop laughing, he heard a mumbled "What the hell?" in the background from the orange haired man. The line was quiet and he knew that the red head was there already and had just made his appearance.

"Grimmjow! You must leave. Get back in the car." He practically yelled into the phone. It was the most emotion he could remember ever showing, especially through a phone but he couldn't let his friend get hurt.

"Give me a sec, Ulqui." Grimmjow's voice was deadly serious and quiet. He could hear Grimmjow speaking across the phone, but it wasn't directed to him. "What the fuck you want? To get yer ass kicked again?" He heard the heat and anger in Grimmjow's tone as he growled the words out. Then, in a quieter tone he heard the man say. "Ichi, stay here."

"Grimm..." The man must not have been paying attention but he thought the phone was still held to his ear by the volume of his voice. "Grimmjow!" He yelled into the phone. "You must get away, he has a gun!"

"wait... what? Ulqui, what are you talkin about?" His voice had a confused tone to it.

Ulquiorra neared the parking lot, it was dark but he could make out the shadowed figures of Grimmjow, his lover, and the red head. He wouldn't be able to get a clear shot without his rifle. "Damnit. Grimmjow, get your man back into the car. He is going to try to kill..." He stopped, cut off by Grimmjow's words and the sharp sound of a discharging gun echoing off the buildings and through the phone.

"Fuck! ..."

••••••

Ichigo got out of the car, still doubled over with his laughter. Grimmjow was on the other side of the car, laughing as he pulled his phone from his pocket "Oh, hey Ulqui..." He heard the blue haired man say.

Still chuckling to himself, silly grin plastered to his face, he waited a few moments for Grimmjow then rounded the back of the car. Ichigo started to call something to his lover but stopped.

He frowned, classic scowl etching his forehead, as a familiar figure made it's way toward them from the shadows. "What the hell?" He said quietly, drawing Grimm's attention. The bluenette looked at him then followed his line of sight.

"Give me a sec, Ulqui." He said in a low, even tone, taking a step toward the red headed bastard. Renji stood a few meters away, hands in the pockets of his sweat shirt, a creepy smile on his lips. His mane of bright hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail. He had to be asking for trouble to show his face near Grimmjow again.

Ichigo rounded the car, back the way he came and stopped when Grimmjow held a hand out and told him to stay there. He stood by the front of the car, watching and wondering what was going on. Something was very off about this, where were Renji's goons? What was he doing there in the first place and how the hell had he learned where Grimmjow lived?

He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. "Grimm?"

"Shit! Get back, Ichi" The man said to him, back pedaling away from the gang leader. Ichigo peered around Grimmjow and caught sight of something shiny. His warm, brown eyes widened and chilled when he realized it was gun. The crazed Zabimaru leader cackled and lifted the weapon, leveling it toward Grimmjow. He looked directly at Ichigo, face twisted into a smile, before squeezing the trigger.

Ichigo heard Grimmjow curse and watched as his leg buckled under him a little. The bluenette growled and righted himself. Using the hood of the car for support, he started backing toward the door, limping as a trickle of blood soaked his torn pant leg. Ichigo looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. Grimmjow met his stare and told him to get in the car in a whispered voice.

They heard the squeal of tires coming to a halt, than another shot rang out in the dark. The brick beside the red head puffed, a few shards exploding out ward, where the bullet had struck. Grimmjow glanced at Ulquiorra in the driver seat of his Stingray. Heaving a sigh of relief, he looked to a very frightened Ichigo. The orange haired man was staring at the red head, currently frozen in place with a sick smile still on his face as he looked at Ulquiorra. Movement caught Grimmjow's attention from his peripheral vision and he cursed again. "Shit. Ichi! Get in the car!" he yelled across the top of his GT-R, opening the driver door and climbing in. Ichigo quickly followed him into the car, slamming the passenger door closed. Grimmjow glanced back at Ulquiorra, the pale man nodded and shifted his car back into drive. Grimmjow peeled out of the parking lot as a black SUV squealed to a halt between Ulquiorra and the red headed gang leader.

••••••

Renji froze as the brick behind him exploded outward. The driver of the old, American hot rod had a hand gun trained on him and stared with a level, stoic gaze. This guy was a professional, he had the attitude and facial markings to prove it. Renji watched his back up pull into the parking lot, speeding toward him. The blue haired fuck and the strawberry faggot were climbing back into their car.

He had to give the bigger man credit, he had grazed him, just above the knee, with the shot he had fired and the man hardly even showed it. If anything, the bastard just looked angrier. Renji hadn't really been trying to shoot to kill or anything. He just wanted to scare the two and make sure Ichigo knew he was going to make him suffer. Judging by the carrot top's reaction, he had gotten the message. Ichigo had just stared at him, eyes wide and unbelieving and his mouth hanging slightly open.

Renji climbed into the SUV and heard a shot punch into the reinforced side of the vehicle as they squealed away from the building, in pursuit of the blue Nissan. He would not give up. If he lost them now, he would probably never find them again and he couldn't let that happen. He grabbed the head set from Ikkaku in the driver seat, yelling into it at his other team.

"Get rid of him! I don't want him interfering again, get rid of the bastard in that black car!" He screamed into the ear piece. He caught the hurried reply of his men on the other end. "Yes, taichou!" and he threw the head set back at his bald lieutenant in the driver seat, climbing into the passenger seat from the back. "Follow them and don't let them get away." He hadn't spent all that time, money and effort to get ahold of these weapons and ammo for nothing.

••••••

Ulquiorra fired another shot, this one aimed at the vehicle the gang leader was climbing into. He heard the shell thud into the side and ricochet off. Great, they were smart enough to bullet proof their vehicles. He pulled his car away, intending to follow after the fleeing Grimmjow. He had seen the man get shot, but it didn't seem like anything serious, just a graze. Grimmjow was a tough bastard and he would be hard to take down, but he still needed to find them.

Pulling into the 4 lane street, he turned in the same direction he had seen Grimmjow's blue car take off. He was glad his friend had put some serious muscle under the hood of his little car when he was fixing it up, the small vehicle wouldn't be able to take much bullet damage and he hopped his friend would be able to make a clean get away before they had to test just how much punishment the car could take. Ulquiorra's own car had been reinforced for such things long ago, the windows were the only source of weakness, and even then, they could take a couple shots.

A car pulled up beside him, going the same direction and paced him. Ulquiorra glanced over at it. It was nothing special, a little four door, maroon family car, the driver paid him no mind. He looked back at the road in front of him, scouring the street ahead for signs of Grimmjow. After a few moments, he glanced at his speed. Frowning a bit, he looked back to the car that was still pacing him, even at such high speeds.

The driver still faced forward, seemingly not paying any attention to him, but this time, a semi automatic of some sort was leveled in his direction. Ulquiorra slammed on his brakes just as the gun started firing. A few shells zinged off his hood, sending sparks into the night, but he managed to fall back far enough that none had gotten a chance to hit his window.

The little, maroon car's driver slammed on the brakes and swerved into Ulquiorra's lane, he jerked the wheel back around and spun the car into a 180 to face Ulquiorra directly. It didn't look like much, but apparently the driver knew what he was doing, making Ulquiorra guess he had decent power under the crappy exterior. It seemed his luck was nearly at it's end.

They sat in their respective cars, staring each other down for a few moments before Ulqui slammed his car in reverse and the other driver stepped on the gas, gunning toward him. Ulquiorra hopped his car had more power, but he was starting to wonder. This driver was good, but Ulquiorra was positive he was better, he would make it work.

The driver of the other car raised the semi automatic again, pointing it through his windshield and directly at Ulquiorra.

Green eyes widened and he slammed his car back into drive, pressing the petal to the ground. Tires squealed and he shifted gears, completely skipping second. He winced at the grinding sounds the skip caused. He hated abusing his beloved car like this, but he needed the speed and power and it probably wouldn't matter anymore in a few seconds anyway. He shifted again, steered his car toward the vehicle coming his way, Glock in hand and hopping to make it before the man squeezed the trigger.

••••••

"Fuck!" Grimmjow cursed, glancing at his rear view mirror at the big, black vehicle still tailing them. He had been trying to shake them for at least a few minutes now and he had lost sight of Ulquiorra. They had heard screeching tires and a few gun shots echo through the night and he hopped his friend was alright, but Ulqui knew what he was doing, he was sure the pale man was fine. He glanced at Ichigo, the young man was huddled in the passenger seat, hands white knuckled from gripping the seat so hard. "Hey." He directed his attention back to the road, swerving the car to the right and down a side street, cutting off a few angry drivers in the process. "You alright? It's ganna be ok, I'll get us out of this."

Ichigo looked up at him, pale and terrified, but trusting him. He could tell from the look in his brown eyes that his lover believed him. Grimmjow was determined not to let him down.

Grimmjow shifted gears, pushing the car to even faster speeds and zoomed through the mostly deserted streets. His leg stung but his adrenalin was coursing through his body and he hardly felt it. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do.

The SUV was still tailing him and didn't look to be giving up anytime soon. Ichigo turned in his seat to watch it so Grimmjow could concentrate on the road better. "Shit." he whispered. A side door had been slid open, Ichigo could see it when they turned. A few men with semi automatics were visible. Renji had gotten ahold of serious fire power.

"What? What are they doin?" Grimmjow asked from the driver's seat, chancing a glance in the mirror. He could see the red head, Renji, sitting in the passenger seat through the windshield. "Fuck." He could see Renji had traded his smaller hand gun for a larger machine gun looking type. Grimmjow didn't know much about guns, not like Ulquiorra, but he knew enough to know he didn't want to get shot again and he sure as hell didn't want Ichigo to get hurt.

A slug punched into the trunk of his car, sending a few sparks flying. Grimmjow could hear it rip through the hatch and lodge into the floor of the trunk. At this close of range, his car wasn't going to protect them much. He needed to get them away quick. "Hang on, Ichi!" He yelled, jerking the wheel into another speedy turn, barley touching his brakes as they drifted around the curve in the street. It was a good thing he wasn't entirely new to racing techniques.

••••••

Renji laughed, a manic sound one would expect to hear come from a madman. He tossed his uzi pistol into the back of the SUV. "Give me one of the new ones." He called back to Yumi, who was sitting in the very back, keeping track of their guns and ammo.

"Of course, taichou." the effeminate man said, passing one of the new, larger weapons up to his leader. "These new semi automatics are so beautiful."

Renji made a face at his underling's odd comment, but couldn't be bothered to really care. He removed the safety, cocking the gun and loading the clip. He watched the little blue car in front of them swerve around another corner, obviously trying to loose them. The blue haired fag was a pretty good driver, but his drivers were just as good. What their SUV couldn't match in acceleration and maneuverability, it made up for in sheer force and size. The little car in front of them couldn't take the abuse they were able to put the SUV through.

Renji laughed to himself as their vehicle ran over the curb to take the turn faster. He rolled down his window and fired a couple shots at the little, blue car. They ripped through the back end with ease.

••••••

Grimmjow turned the wheel, drifting around the corner as gun shots echoed through the city. The back windshield shattered and a hole punched through his seat, grazing his upper arm and leaving a hole in the front windshield. He grit his teeth, growling at the burn and kept turning the wheel.

Sitting next to him, Ichigo gasped as the air was ripped from his lungs and a slug hit the passenger side dash board with a sick thunking sound. Grimmjow looked over, eyes wide with horror. Blood was blossoming under his lovers shirt, coloring the material red. Ichigo held his rib cage, the blood seeping between his fingers. He gasped in quick shallow breaths, a wet gurgle rising from his throat. He looked over at Grimmjow, eyes full of fear and pain, as the sound of some sort of semi automatic rang through the street. Grimmjow jumped and jerked the wheel, half way through their drifting turn as multiple shells punched into the side of his GT-R.

"Shit!" He cursed, lead bit into his thigh and he started loosing control of the speeding vehicle. Another shell smashed the driver window and flew through the windshield, shattering the already spider webbed glass. The GT-R spun at high speed, doing a 180 before it started to flip. "Fuck..." Grimmjow watched the world turn upside down as the car rolled.

**AN: sorry for the huge cliff hanger, hope you enjoyed any way! Let me know what you think**


	10. Blood and Tears

**AN: That last chapter got a lot of reviews, a thank you to everyone! It was nice to get all the comments, as i was a little unsure how that chapter would be received. One more thing before I let you get to reading ^^ I've been writing this entire story just from one scene that I had envisioned, this is that scene  
>Enjoy~<br>**

**Chapter 10: Blood and Tears**

The tattooed gang leader watched the back windshield of the little blue car shatter as it was riddled with lead. In the dark, he could make out the silhouette of the driver jerk at the impact and smiled to himself, hopping that he scored at least one hit, though he had plenty of ammo to try again.

He fired off another round, sending a spray of bullets toward the driver's side as the car drifted into a turn. He watched the glass of the window shatter as shells ripped through the door, sending sparks flying.

Ikkaku slammed on the breaks and they watched the Nissan in front of them loose control around the turn. It fish tailed and started spinning before the car's momentum pushed it over and into a roll. The car barrel rolled past the curve, flipping several times, to crash and slide to a screeching halt, upside down, in the middle of the intersection.

A street lamp flickered in the distance and all was eerily silent as the car rocked slightly.

•••••

Renji ran to the side of the now still car, the crunch of broken glass the only sound in the night. What a shame. That car had really been beautiful. Oh well, it was worth the sacrifice. That blue haired bitch never would have allowed him to get away with the GT-R anyway.

The red head bent down and peeked in through the shattered window. He glanced at the bluenette, still held in the seat by his seat belt. The big man's eyes were closed and his body was limp, one arm dangling to rest on the ceiling, the other caught in the steering wheel. Renji winced slightly, sickly smile still smeared on his face. Bet the big guy will feel that one in the morning, he thought to himself. Blood slowly trickled from a gash in the side of the man's face to drip through his hair and onto the ceiling below him. The red head drew his gun and aimed it at the prone figure. He contemplated just killing the bastard now, until a slight gasping wheeze drew his attention.

Renji pried the passenger door of the upside down car open. It screeched in protest as the top ground against the paved road. He jerked on it a few times, throwing his weight into it to make the bent and jammed door open further. Reaching in, he dragged a barely conscience, orange haired boy out by the collar of his red stained shirt. The little faggot wheezed in short, wet breaths, pale face masked in delicious pain and a little, telling trickle of blood dripped from his chin. The red headed gang leader dropped the smaller male to the ground a few meters from the broken vehicle and straddled his hips. Renji cocked his head to the side and smiled down at the bleeding, battered form below him, watching as confused and pain filled eyes slowly gained focus on him.

••••••

"Ren...ji...?" Ichigo stuttered, looking up at the monster looming over him. The words hurt coming out, like they were made of glass and he had to force them past his throat and onto his tongue. He saw the man pull his arm back, hand clenched in a fist. It was too quick for his struggling mind or eyes to follow, but he heard the wet smack of the fist colliding with his face; once, twice, then nothing.

••••••

Renji stopped and stood up as a low groan issued from the wreckage of the car. Ichigo's big, blue haired man was waking up. He seemed confused, but Renji could kind of understand. He watched as the man drew his brow together in a frown before his eyes widened and he began struggling with the seat belt still holding him, upside-down, in the driver's seat.

The red head smiled and let out a burst of deranged laughter, today really was a good day.

•••••••••

Grimmjow groaned and slowly opened his eyes. What the hell? He stared out the shattered windshield of what he was pretty sure was his car. The buildings around him were upside down and everything smelled like gun smoke and gasoline. He looked around.

Shit. Everything that had happen quickly flooded his mind. "Ichi?" He looked to the passenger side, the door had been forced opened. Good, Ichigo must have gotten out the car.

Grimmjow grabbed his seatbelt and tugged, grunting as he struggled to unbuckle it. His hands were shaking and he finally grabbed the knife he always carried with him from the waist of his jeans and started cutting the strap, bracing himself with one arm, against the roof of the car. The strap tore through with a shredding sound and Grimm fell to the ceiling of the upside-down wreck. He coughed and gasped at the impact before he kicked his door open, ignoring the sharp pains lancing through his body, and crawled through. Grabbing the underside of the car near the front tire for support, he struggled upright and looked about for his missing lover. He caught sight of something red, looking over the body of his car, he made out that bastard Renji's sickly, deranged smile.

Grimmjow stumbled forward, dizzy and dazed, a hand on the body of his car for support. He rounded the front of the vehicle, never looking away from the red headed baboon. The man's fists were red, the color reaching up to speckle his forearms. The gang leader cackled out a burst of bitter and hysterical laughter, turned on his heel and took off, leaving Grimmjow confused as he finally made his way around the car. He could hear sirens in the distance as he looked around and then toward the ground.

"Ichi? ... Ichigo?" The bluenette stumbled forward, nearly falling, and slid to halt on his knees beside the limp, bloody form of his lover. His hands raised to the sides of his head as he stared in horror. "No...no no no no..." he panted in a hoarse whisper. He tentatively reached down and ghosted his shaking fingers over the soft, pale skin of his lover's face. Tears had formed in his eyes and were now flowing, unchecked, down his cheeks, unnoticed by the distraught man. Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo, clutching him to his chest and screamed out a torn and desperate "NO!". He hugged the limp body to him, rocking slightly as he sobbed, face pressed into his love's hair.

An ambulance and several police cars arrived. The sirens deafening and yet silent to the blue haired man. Everything was silent and still to Grimmjow as paramedics rushed over to the forms of the two young men, dragging Grimmjow upright and away from Ichigo as others counted out and lifted the orange head onto a gurney. The two EMTs holding onto Grimmjow tried guiding him to a second ambulance, telling him that his friend was in good hands and that he would be able to see him shortly. But the man would have none of it, he barely even heard their shouted words. He struggled against them, eyes never leaving Ichigo's body, insisting that he stay with the smaller man, tears streaking his face to mix with blood.

"No... I... I have to be with him! I have to..." Grimmjow was beside himself with horror and grief, his mind not allowing him to think clearly as he fought the EMTs to get to the man he loved.

In their haste to get both injured persons to the ER, and after Grimmjow got a good shot off at one of the men trying to help him, the paramedics gave up and agreed to allow the tattooed man to ride at the younger one's side.

••••••

The squad arrived at the hospital. The ride had been a blur to Grimmjow, bright lights and muted voices but not much else. He sat and watched Ichigo's pale, unmoving face, the edges of his vision dark and indistinct as he struggled to hold onto conscienceness during the ride.

An oxygen mask had been placed over Ichigo's face during the drive, and medical staff were rushing around the outside of the ambulance. He was lowered onto a gurney and the doctors began to wheel him away with all haste, cutting his shirt off and shouting orders.

Grimmjow stumbled from the back of the vehicle, too stubborn to not go with his man. A burly male nurse with brown hair, the same one he had landed a punch on earlier, daringly grabbed his arm, risking another strike. "You can't go with him, son. He's being prepped for the ER." Grimmjow struggled weakly, not understanding what was being said to him. He had to be there for Ichi.

Another bed was wheeled over, the nurses trying to convince the bleeding and dazed man to cooperate. After a few seconds of stubbornly struggling, his mind and body in shock, the blue haired man's weariness began to over take him as his adrenaline waned. Grimmjow finally went quiet and allowed the medical staff to place him on the gurney, preparing to take him to the ER as well. Voices faded and blackness consumed him before they had fully laid him down.

••••••

Grimmjow woke up, lying in a bed, light, white sheets pulled up to his chest. His body felt heavy and sore, his chest tight. Sharp pain shot through his abdomen with every deep breath he took. He groaned and blinked a few times, clearing his vision to look around.

"Shit, 'bout time ya come around" Grimmjow turned his head to see Nnoitra's face a few inches from his. He jerked back in surprise, sucking in a pained breath before relaxing again. Nnoitra chuckled a little beside him, but it sounded strained and a little worried, it didn't fool anyone in the room. Nnoitra had nearly been in tears when he heard about the accident.

Letting his vision wonder past Nnoitra, Grimmjow saw that Starrk and Ulquiorra were there too. "Ulqui?" Good, his friend had made it. He must have said the name out loud, even though he thought he was only thinking to himself.

Ulquiorra stepped forward and kneeled beside the bed. "Yes? How are you feeling, Grimm?"

"not sure." His words were quiet and slurred a bit as he struggled to regain the gapping hole in his fuzzy memory. He tried to shift into a sitting position, hissing at the feel of stitched wounds being pulled. "how long 've I been here?"

Ulquiorra gently helped the injured man into an upright position "Understandable. The accident was the night before last." He said, his voice quiet and controlled, as he answered Grimmjow's question. He looked back to Nnoitra and Starrk. They were still standing a few feet behind him, unsure of what they should do. Nnoi had a look of relief mixed with worry on his face and Starrk seemed a little more awake than normal. Of course, Ulquiorra had told them what he could, and they had all been told how the EMTs had found Grimmjow's GT-R. He looked back to the man in front of him. "How much do you remember?"

Grimmjow frowned, blue brows drawing together. He slowly and carefully raised his hand to brush it through his tangled, messy blue locks, wincing slightly. He took a deep breath and his friends could see that he was struggling to remember. He knew it was something important, something terrible. He remembered sounds; gun shots and gun smoke, sirens. The bright lights from in the ambulance came back to him, then the color red. His eyes slowly widened and he looked over to his friends. "wheres Ichi?" He said in a whisper.

None of them said anything. He looked from Nnoitra to Starrk and back to Ulquiorra, his eyes getting wider. Unshed tears formed in the corners of his blue, pain filled eyes and Ulqui put a pale hand on his arm, hating that look on a man who was usually so strong. "Grimm... He's.." His sentence was cut off.

Grimmjow jumped from the bed, pushing the smaller man away from him, even injured, he was a strong guy and out weighed his smaller friend. Ulquiorra stumbled to the side, clutching his rib cage and gasping quietly at the light impact, still sore and torn up from his own ordeal.

Grimmjow took a step forward, dragging the IV rack with him as he did. Nnoitra jumped to his side, both restraining him and holding him from falling. The injured man's chest heaved and he bent at the waist slightly, teeth grit and eyes squeezed shut, but refused to sit back down. A low growl escaped his throat as tears fell down his cheeks and he clawed Nnoitra's hands off of him, heading for the door again. Starrk came to help Nnoitra, the two being as careful with their distraught friend as possible. All the while Ulquiorra stood in front of him, trying to get his attention, one thin arm wrapped around his side, where Grimmjow had pushed him.

The beeping of the heart monitor that had been attached to Grimmjow grew in pace, the pitch elevating. A nurse ran into the room, eyes going wide when she saw the big man up and struggling to get free. The woman quickly readied a needle filled with something that would knock him out, seeing that the man may need sedated. She had been warned that he seemed very strong willed and stubborn when they found him and she had come prepared. A pale hand gripped her wrist as she was about to inject the sedative into the IV.

"Please." Ulquiorra said in a quiet, level voice. "Let us try to talk to him before you put him back under. He has been through a lot." He watched the woman nod slightly, but she kept the dose ready.

Ulquiorra went back to Grimmjow. The man had worn himself out but was still struggling weakly against his two friends, face pale and still streaked with tears. The two men supporting him were the only thing keeping him on his feet at this point.

The blue haired man was demanding to see his lover, his voice wavering slightly, but no less insistent. He looked to the nurse, noticing her for the first time. He grabbed her by the arms and looked her in the eye. "Where is he? Tell me where he is!" The startled woman had no idea what to do and cringed as she tried to pull away from the man's strong grip.

Ulquiorra gently but firmly grabbed Grimmjow's wrist, prying him off the poor woman. The injured Grimmjow grit his teeth and groaned a little at the pressure to his bandaged and obviously injured arm and released her. She stepped back but didn't leave just yet. The smaller man looked to the two holding their bigger friend, helping them guide Grimmjow back to his bed. Ulquiorra's voice was low, but it cut through the noise to Grimmjow's sharp ears with ease, quickly silencing him. "He still lives."

The blue haired man froze, turning to face his pale friend. Ulquiorra blinked his big, green eyes and nodded his head once in answer to his questioning stare. No one said a word, unwilling or unable to brake the pregnant silence. His body shook with strain and fatigue but still the bluenette refused to lay down. The only sound in the room was Grimmjow's heart monitor and his slightly strained breathing. Chest heaving, he finally spoke in a quiet, whispered voice. "Where? Can... Can I see him?"

Ulquiorra gently pushed the distracted Grimmjow to the bed, forcing him to at least sit. "He is in the ICU." Grimmjow grabbed his wrist in a gentle but urgent grip, looking up at him and silently pleading. "He is stable at the moment, but visitors are not allowed in the room as of yet." Grimmjow had yet to say anything, he looked up at Ulquiorra, breathing returning to normal. He trembled slightly and Nnoitra came over to help him lay back.

The nurse quietly spoke from the corner. "You can see him through the window though." Grimmjow pinned her with a thankful stare before struggling to get back up. Nnoitra held him down. The nurses voice was quiet and soothing. "Please, you're still recovering Mr. Jaegerjaquez. I will get you a chair and be right back to take you there."

The three friends looked to the man on the bed, each hopping that he would agree and quit straining himself. He had stopped struggling when the nurse spoke. He relented and nodded and the woman hurried out the door. Grimmjow let out a tired sigh and allowed himself to fall back into the pillows. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, just stared at his hands in his lap, thinking and remembering.

"A...Are you ok, Ulqui? We... heard tires and gun shots..." he still sat back, looking at his hands. His deep voice barely above a whisper.

"I will recover." Ulquiorra told him, still holding his side. He saw Grimmjow's questioning glance to the spot and raised his shirt a bit. The man drew in a sharp breath at the sight.

A particularly nasty gash that had been created when a part of his car had tried to forcefully enter his abdomen had been stapled up. The wound was purple and blue, the edges puckered and greenish from bruising and swelling. He had managed to get close enough to the other driver and fire off his Glock, hitting the man between the eyes before he had been able to fire off his own weapon. Ulquiorra had swerved his car to the left at the last moment, managing to shift the place of impact from directly head on to angle at the passenger side. The four door had collided with that side of his front end, bounced off and slid down the side, nearly ripping his car in half from the high speed. But it had saved his life and he had gotten off luckier than he should have.

The pale man gave a quiet sigh and Grimmjow looked up at him. "My Stingray, however, will not recover." He said, small smile tilting his lips. He promised to tell Grimmjow all about it some other time. Grimmjow nodded and went back to looking down at his hands.

He sat like that, silent and unseeing until the nurse nocked on the door and peeked in. Her smile was soft and held a touch of sorrow as she pushed the wheel chair toward the bluenette's bed. Grimmjow started to sit up, grunting with the effort and pain. Ulquiorra laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Please," The nurse said softly, walking over to Grimmjow's side. "your injuries are quite serious Mr. Jaegerjaquez. Try not to strain, let us help you." When he frowned at her, blue brows furrowed and lip curled up a bit, she elaborated further. "You have quite extensive internal bruising and a few cracked ribs." She pointed to his wrapped up arm "Your wrist was shattered in the accident, looks like you got it caught on something, and your elbow was dislocated."

Grimmjow winced when the memory of waking up, upside down came flooding back. And the internal bruising explained why it hurt to breath. He swallowed thickly and nodded to her, still not willing to allow himself to speak.

Nnoitra rushed over, "Ulqui, ya probably shouldn't be liftin 'im either." he said to his smaller friend.

Ulquiorra looked up at the towering man and nodded, "You are probably right." He said, taking a couple steps back to get out of the way.

The nurse held the chair still and with Nnoitra on one side of him, lifting him from the bed and supporting his weight, they managed to get Grimmjow into the chair, only causing him minimal pain. The blue haired man took a couple of steadying, panting breaths before giving the worried looks of his friends a small, crooked and forced smile. Starrk grabbed a folded blanket and threw it over Grimm's bare legs, where the hospital gown didn't cover and the nurse wheeled Grimmjow out of the room and down the hall, the three other men following.

"I told the doctor you were up and would be there soon, he's been wanting to meet you." The nurse said cheerily. Grimmjow gave her a questioning look but she either didn't see it or ignored it as the came to a door. "We're here" She said, small smile still in place. She pushed the door open and wheeled the blue haired man in. The other three men seemed to hesitate, unsure if they should follow.

From within the room, a man with short, spiked brown hair waved them in. "No need to be shy." He said in a quiet voice. He turned to look down at Grimmjow but didn't leave his spot by the window. Starrk held the door for the nurse as she left the room.

Now that the man had turned and he could see his face, Grimmjow vaguely remembered him as the male nurse that had grabbed him and stopped him from following Ichi, he was fairly certain he had hit the man back at the site of the accident too. He clenched his jaw, feeling is anger return. Grimmjow looked up at him, his gaze level and as controlled as possible but he couldn't help his eyes from straying to look toward the window.

The man gave a small, sad smile. "I would expect nothing less from the man my son is dating... it was a pretty good shot too, considering." He said in a quiet, tired sounding voice, rubbing at his jaw a little, seeing the blue haired man's anger after recognition had lit his sharp, blue eyes. He watched those eyes widen and he nodded his head a little, walking over to Grimmjow. He held out his hand, "Doctor Isshin Kurosaki."

Grimmjow grabbed his hand in a firm grip, clearing his throat a little he introduced himself. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Feeling a little left out he added his profession as well "tattoo artist" The man gave him a small but genuine grin and Grimmjow could see the resemblance between him and his son, Ichigo.

Grimmjow swallowed, drawing his brows together slightly he looked toward the window. Not really paying attention anymore, he saw Isshin walk around behind him. The man pushed his chair closer to the window, letting Grimmjow look in at his lover.

Ichigo was laying on a bed, most of his body cover in a thick, white blanket. The exposed parts of his once tanned skin looked pale and sickly. His eyes were, of course closed in a horrible mock of natural sleep and his hair was limp and had lost it's natural glow.

Various tubes and cords snaked their way out from under the blanket and attached to machinery that surrounded the bed. Clear tubes had been inserted into his mouth and down his trachea, another, smaller one entered his nose to feed extra oxygen into his lungs, though from the mechanical rhythm of his chest's rising and falling, corresponding with the sounds of forced air, Grimmjow knew he wasn't breathing fully on his own. The sounds of various monitors and machinery could be heard, muted by the glass.

Grimmjow felt hot tears prick at his eyes as he looked into the room, but he didn't care if anyone watched him cry, not in that moment. He should be the one lying there, not Ichi. His Ichigo should never look like that. He shuddered out a sobbing breath but didn't look away. He felt Ichigo's father's hand settle on his shoulder and squeeze lightly. He looked up at the man, silently begging him for forgiveness all the while hatred for himself warred with it in his eyes, and he did nothing to hide it from the man above him.

Isshin saw the look and knew what it meant, his son's lover needed forgiveness but didn't feel he deserved it and would never ask for it. He squeezed the young man's shoulder again, looking him in the eye. He saw the bluenette's jaw clench a few times before his lips parted, only to close again, not trusting words to come out. Isshin held up his hand. "Say nothing. I do not blame you for this. I may not know you, but I know my son loved..." He paused, rephrasing his wording. "I know my son loves you."

Nothing more needed to be said. Grimmjow understood. He finally let the tears escape as he looked back through the window.

**AN: kind of another cliff hanger? Sorry about that ^^; hope you enjoyed anyway. Let me know!**


	11. Lost and Found

**AN: Thank you for all the comments and reviews guys, I always enjoy them ^^  
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**Chapter 11: Lost and Found**

An hour passed, Grimmjow and Isshin saying nothing. They sat in silence, unmoving and looked into the room that held the boy they both loved in their own ways.

A voice over the intercom paged Dr. Kurosaki and the man slowly turned from the window. Isshin looked down at the young man his son had fallen for. He could see the raw pain and love in the man's unwavering, blue gaze. He could see how much Ichigo meant to this man and he knew that Grimmjow would not give up on that love. He gently squeezed the bluenette's shoulder and made his way to the door, silently thankful for what he could see of Grimmjow's emotions.

Grimmjow gave no indication that he even realized the man had touched him. He just sat. His friends tried to talk to him, to get him to return to his room and rest, to tell them about the accident; anything to get him to respond. Nothing worked. Still, he just sat and looked into the little room, mind lost within itself.

Finally, after another hour, the nurse assigned to take care of Grimmjow came back into the room. "It's time for your medication, Mr. Jaegerjaquez." She said, coming up behind him to wheel his chair away. He said nothing, but his far away gaze cleared a bit. She looked down at him, than to the men that were obviously good friends of his. Her smile was small and sorrowful. She had seen his type before, someone so completely lost. Sometimes they recovered. Sometimes they didn't.

They walked down the hall in silence. She opened his room door with a small squeak of the hinges and wheeled him to the bed. Nnoitra walked over to her side and helped lift Grimmjow to the bed without receiving so much as an angry glare from his blue haired friend.

The nurse readied a needle and a few pills on a tray. "These are to help with pain." She said quietly, handing the pills and a glass of water to Grimmjow. She watched him take them with a shaky hand and swallow all of them in one go, he took a drink of water and set the glass back down. The woman looked back to his friends, picking up the syringe.

"This will make him sleepy, it shouldn't be enough to knock him out, but it will help him relax some." She looked back to Grimmjow with a small, sad smile. She took his arm. He stiffened some but didn't really fight it. After she injected the mild sedative, she walked to a closet and pulled out a few more blankets, setting them at the foot of the bed. "The couch" She pointed to a small couch along the far wall. "pulls out into a bed if anyone decides to stay, and the chair reclines. If you need anything, I will be his personal nurse. There's a call button by the door and on his bed." With that, she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

••••••

Grimmjow turned his head to the side and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself while he looked over at the men he knew wouldn't be leaving any time soon. "you don't have to stay." His voice was quiet and rough, his sharp eyes were sad.

Nnoitra gave him a level look, spelling out that he was out of his mind before the lanky man said anything. "Yer stupid if ya think we're goin anywhere."

Starrk sat down on the couch and made himself comfortable. He looked at Grimmjow and nodded his agreement with Nnoitra's words.

Ulquiorra sat down in the chair after pulling it a bit closer to his stubborn friend's bed. A slightly pained look crossed his stoic features as he made himself as comfortable as possible. "He is correct." He said, in his quiet voice, looking at Grimmjow.

Grimmjow looked at them for a moment, then nodded slightly and turned his head back to face in front of him. He wasn't ready to talk yet, wasn't ready to face the people that meant the most to him, wasn't ready to forgive himself or have anyone pity him for it. But he knew his friends weren't pitying him, they were only worried about him. He didn't deserve that.

He sat like that for a while, thinking to himself, until the sedative started to take effect. It made him dizzy at first and Ulquiorra, being the closest to him at the time, jumped to his side as he clutched at his stomach, growling and trying to get out of bed. The smaller man helped the stumbling bluenette to the small bathroom that was attached to his room and held him from falling as he dry heaved into the toilet.

After the sounds of Grimmjow retching quieted, Starrk entered the small room and took his weight from Ulqui. The sedative was now in full swing and Grimmjow was shaky and had lost the strength to walk. He tried desperately to cling to awareness, but sleep kept tugging at his heavy mind.

Starrk navigated his way from the bathroom, careful not to jostle a limp Grimmjow around too much, where he was cradled in his arms. He laid his friend on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. Nnoitra grabbed a trash can from beside the door and brought it to the bedside in case Grimmjow woke up sick again.

Sitting back down in the chair, Ulquiorra gave a tired sigh. "I do not think it wise to leave him alone." He said quietly, not wanting to wake Grimmjow.

"We can stay in shifts, so that he has one of us with him every night." Starrk's deep baritone suggested, agreeing with his pale friend. They all recognized that their normally surly and tough friend was not himself, lost in his grief and pain.

••••••

A few hours had passed and Grimmjow was roused by the sound of quiet crying. He furrowed his brow and slowly opened his eyes. Trying to shift so that he could see what was going on, he let out a groan, wrapping his uninjured, right arm around his stomach and hissed out a pained breath, squeezing his eyes shut. He slowly settled for rolling back onto his back as sharp pain shot through his abused abdomen. He slowly opened his eyes again. He saw Nnoitra's tall, lanky form tower over him, standing from where he had been sitting on the couch.

"How ya feelin?" He asked, his voice hushed as he helped Grimmjow sit up a little.

Grimmjow grunted in reply and turned his head to look past his friend. Ulquiorra sat, passed out in the chair. His face was drawn and a little paler than usual. The sight made Grimmjow feel bad, his friend was probably in a lot more pain than he was letting on, yet he still insisted on being here for him. Starrk was sitting on the couch, watching him.

Ichigo's blond friend made his way to Nnoitra's side, clutching at the man's thin arm. A few tears still clung to his lashes as he looked at Grimmjow with wide, golden eyes.

The bluenette swallowed thickly, his jaw clenched for a moment as he looked at the smaller man. "Shinji... I..."

"Don't you dare!" Shinji yelled at him, but there was no heat in his words. The blond threw his arms around Grimmjow's neck, hugging him. Ichi's lover was beating himself up enough, there was no need for an apology from him.

Grimmjow stiffened and tried to ignore the pain that the action caused, knowing that the slim blond didn't realize he was hurting him, he only wanted to help. The bigger man concentrated on taking even, deep breaths.

Nnoitra, seeing the look of pain cross his friend's featured, settled a big hand on the blond's arm. "Shin..." he said quietly, drawing the man back a step.

Shinji looked up at him, then back to Grimmjow. "I...went ta see Ichi before I came here..." he said slowly, quietly. He watched his best friend's lover close his eyes for a moment before he turned his head away, looking down at his hands where they sat in his lap, he didn't miss the tear that slowly made it's way down Grimmjow's tanned cheek. "Ya know Ichi wouldn't like ta see ya like this." he said softly, trying to comfort the obviously upset man.

A soft knock sounded through the quiet room. Ulquiorra stirred and sat up a little straighter as the nurse made her way into the room. "Time for your medication Mr. Jaegerjaquez" She said softly, walking over to his bed. It seemed the man had hardly moved since she was in there last. What happened to the man that had to have two of his big friends hold him back just to keep him in the room when he had woken up earlier?

She counted out the pills and readied his doses. "You have very good friends" She said to him, kneeling so that she was at his level. He nodded but didn't look up. She looked up at the couple standing on the other side of his bed, she gave them a small, sad smile then handed Grimmjow the pills. He took them without complaint again. But when she grabbed the syringe, he stiffened and pulled away from her, a low rumble sounded from deep in his chest.

Ulquiorra cleared his throat, drawing the surprised woman's attention. "It made him sick before knocking him out the last time." He explained quietly.

The woman smiled a bit and set the syringe back down. "Then we'll skip it for now" She said cheerfully enough. "But if you change your mind, just call" With that, she got up and checked Grimmjow's vitals, scribbling things down on a chart, before she left the room again.

••••••

Hours passed. Grimmjow sat quietly, lost in his thoughts and, no doubt horrible memories. A different nurse had come in at one point, trying to persuade him to eat. He barely even acknowledged her presence. After a few minutes of trying, she had set the food down on a small, bedside table with wheels and left the room quietly.

His friends, Shinji included, had attempted to get him to eat a least a little, he hadn't eaten anything since before the accident, but he just couldn't bring himself to try. He violently shoved the wheeled table holding the tray away from him, silently telling everyone he would not touch it and stop trying. A glass had fallen over, spilling it's contents, the thick material breaking into several pieces. Ulquiorra had cleaned the mess up and set the broken pieces on the tray.

It was decided that Starrk would spend the first night with their distraught friend. Ulquiorra had wanted to stay, but his fatigue and pain were becoming a bother and he had finally relented and agreed that he needed his rest. Nnoitra had debated who would stay for a while, but in the end, Nnoi hadn't been able to leave Shinji to go to his and Ichi's apartment alone in the state he had been in. So the decision was made, and Starrk would be the one to stay by Grimmjow's side.

All the while, the blue haired man sat quietly, not hearing a word his friends said around him. He didn't know how long he sat there until Ulquiorra had bid him farewell, promising to visit again tomorrow. At some point, Nnoitra left as well, a tired and upset Shinji in tow. He had grabbed Grimmjow's hand and squeezed, drawing the bluenette's attention and forcing him to make eye contact. After a moment, Nnoitra left, no words were needed between the two.

••••••

Hours ticked by with nothing but the sound of the clock. Grimmjow was silently thankful that the ever quiet Starrk had stayed. He drifted in and out of a troubled sleep as Starrk snored lightly from the couch.

The sun had set and the room was lit only by the dimmed florescent bulbs above. Grimmjow absently thought that Starrk must have gotten up and dimmed them while he was asleep.

The door cracked open, letting in a stream of much brighter light. Thinking it would only be his nurse again, Grimmjow made no move to acknowledge the visiter. He continued to lay back, eyes closed and mind adrift.

When someone pulled the chair up closer to his bed, he finally opened his eyes to see who was there. Isshin sat, bent over, elbows on his knees and his head bowed in his hands. He had taken off his white lab coat and it now hung over the back of the chair. He looked old and broken.

••••••

Dr. Kurosaki left the lab, he headed down the hall that lead to his son's ICU room. His thoughts, only on his son, went to the man he was dating; Grimmjow. An interesting name, he noted. The man had seemed so distraught, so heavy. He would barely say a word, wouldn't look at anyone. The nurses had told him he wouldn't eat or even really move. He just sat in his bed. He had been told about his outburst when he first woke up, how he couldn't be calmed until they made a deal to let him see Ichi.

Shinji had stopped by hours ago, to visit his best friend. He had hunted Isshin down to talk to him and hug him. Kurosaki had asked him about Grimmjow. He learned that the man with wild blue hair usually had a personality and temper to match it. That he owned his own business, that he had a huge cat. He learned about Ichi's run in with a gang and how Grimmjow had came to his rescue and nursed him back to health even though they had just met. He was told that he met Ichi at the club and that they had fallen in love at first sight.

He found himself standing in the hall, facing the door to the room that contained his son's boyfriend and lover. He found that the thought of his son taking another man as a lover didn't bother him so much anymore.

He raised his hand to knock but hesitated, instead he cracked the door open as quietly as possible and peered into the dimly lit room. It seemed the bluenette was asleep, but he felt he needed to see the man. He walked in and pulled the chair closer to the sleeping figure and threw his coat over the back. Sitting down, he put his head in his hands and let the weight of his crumbling world settle on his shoulders.

The man shifted into a sitting position, letting out a small grunt with the effort. Isshin looked up, not bothering to hide his weariness from the bluenette. "I didn't mean to wake you." He said in a quiet tone.

"wasn't asleep" Grimmjow's answer was barely a whisper, his deep voice rough from not using it for most of the day.

Isshin sat back in the chair with a quiet sigh. "How are you feeling?" He asked, looking at Grimmjow. All he got was a small grunt in reply as the man in front of him drew his brows together in a slightly annoyed frown. "Probably sick of that question already." He saw the man's slight nod.

Glancing around the room, he noted the untouched tray of food that had been shoved against a wall. Looking back to Grimmjow, a small smile tugged at his lips. "Ichigo's always been a stubborn kid too, got from his old man." His voice was still quiet and the small smile still tugged at the corner of his mouth as his eyes took on a far way look. "We used to try to kick each other's asses just for the fun of it, see who could sneak up on who. He usually got me, or at least dodged." He paused and gave a small laugh. He looked at Grimmjow and could see moisture gathered in the man's blue eyes. "One time, when he was in high school, I didn't think he was paying attention, but he dodged my drop kick at the last minute... I went right through the window" Isshin chuckled at the slightly astonished look Grimmjow gave him, though the unshed tears were still there.

They talked like that for a long time. Isshin digging up old memories, many that would make Ichigo kill him for telling anyone. He managed to get a small smile out of the younger man on the bed once or twice, but he did all the talking. Grimmjow just sat quietly and listened, mostly keeping his gaze turned down.

"He doesn't talk about me much, does he?" Grimmjow could hear the masked pain in the man's words. He shook his head slightly.

Isshin heaved a sigh. "When he was a senior in high school, he... he came out and told his sisters and I that he was gay." He paused to take a deep breath, then continued in a low, regretful tone. "I thought it was just a faze... something he would grow out of. I didn't take him seriously... next thing I know, a years gone by and its his graduation ceremony and I hadn't said a full sentence to him... I had pushed him away." Isshin closed his eyes for a moment, regathering his thoughts and looked back to Grimmjow. "I have nothing against him liking men, nothing against gay men. And now... I can't even remember the last thing I said to him. I love him, he's my only son... but he... I don't think he will forgive me, and I don't deserve his forgiveness." He paused, scrubbing a hand over his face. "My point is, I need you to recover, to be healthy and strong. I know your stubborn as hell, I can see that. And I can see that your a strong man..." he paused again. Looking at Grimmjow, who had finally turned his head to stare him in the eye. "When Ichi wakes up. And he will, he's too stubborn and strong not too, he is going to need someone to take care of him. To help him until he's healthy again. He wont let me be that person. You need to be there for him. You need to be strong while he's weak."

Tears had begun to streak Grimmjow's cheeks, the salt stinging a gash that ran along his jaw. His brow furrowed, drawing his blue eye brows together, but the frown wasn't one of annoyance this time. It had a stubborn and strong set to it. His eyes were clear, a determined and resolved look swirled in their endless blue depths. He grit his teeth a little and nodded his head. Ichigo would need him and he would be there.

••••••

The next morning, Ulquiorra sent a quick message to Nnoitra. He was getting ready to head over to the hospital to visit Grimmjow and wondered if Nnoitra would like to join him. Nnoitra quickly replied, telling him that he would pick Ulqui up, seeing that his car had been destroyed.

Shinji sat in the back seat, giving the injured Ulqui the more comfortable passenger seat. The drive was quick but it seemed way too long with the sullen and dour mood of all the men in the car.

They arrived at the hospital in silence and made their way to the 3rd floor and down the hall to Grimmjow's room. As they opened the door, they were met by the very unexpected sound of Grimmjow's voice. It was quiet and rough, but his deep baritone carried to them all the same.

••••••

"I don't fuckin' want it." Grimmjow growled at the nurse. His voice came out a little less menacing than he had planed, but he figured thats what he gets for not using it for so long. He had been knocked out for an entire day and night, and yesterday he hadn't really spoken or eaten. He felt like shit and he was tired, but he was determined to change that.

The nurse was kneeling beside him, pills and a syringe in hand, a small, genuine smile creased her face. She knew that he was just being stubborn, that he felt his wounds much more than he let on. "Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you need to take it. It will help with your pain and make you feel better." She turned when she heard the door creak open.

"Don't care. Shit was makin me sick earlier." The nurse had given him a dose of his medication at some ungodly hour of the morning, and Starrk had had to sit with him while he dry heaved the empty contents of his stomach before passing out. Of course, it was probably the injection she had given him, not the pain pills. But he had been half asleep and didn't think about how it had affected him last time. Grimmjow turned his head to look at his friends as they made their way into his room, they all looked a little surprised. He nodded in their direction, then went back to facing off with the nurse.

She gave a small giggle, genuinely happy that the man had seemingly bounced back over night. She didn't know what changed, but it was nice to see the handsome man be a little more lively, it suited him. "That's probably because your belly is empty. How about I get you some breakfast and you can take the medicine in a couple hours?"

Grimmjow thought about it. He knew her little deal was kind of childish, and he was just as childish for the way he was acting, but he really didn't care. "Fine. But were still skippin that." He said, pointing to the needle in the woman's hand.

The nurse gave a small laugh and got up "You have yourself a deal, Mr. Jaegerjaquez." She shook her head a bit and made her way out the door. "I will send someone by with something for you to eat."

Grimmjow sank back into his pillow's, giving a quiet, tired sigh. He grimaced as he took a deep breath, sharp pain lancing through his muscles. Turning to his friends, still at the door, he gave a small, forced, lopsided grin.

The men dispersed themselves around the room, making themselves comfortable. Ulquiorra walked over to counter and peeked at the chart the nurses had been using before making his way to Grimmjow. Starrk yawned from his spot on the couch.

"Feeling better today?" Ulquiorra asked the bluenette quietly. The man looked tired and worn out and the smile he had given them couldn't hide the sorrow that still swam in the depths of his eyes.

"No. If anything, worse." Grimmjow closed his eyes and tilted his head back to rest on the pillow propped up behind him.

"Understandable." Was Ulquiorra's reply. "It is pleasant to see you act a bit more like your self though."

Grimmjow snorted and glanced at the clock. The door cracked open and the woman from the day before came in with another tray of food. She eyed the bluenette warily before setting it down on the bedside table that had been replaced back beside the man's bed. She quickly left without a word.

Grimmjow watched her flee from the room with a raised brow. He didn't remember being that hard on the poor woman yesterday. Whatever. He looked at the tray, curling his lip into a small snarl. His stomach was telling him to eat, but his mind still didn't agree and he was having a tough time forcing himself to touch it. But he had made a promise. He grabbed the glass of some sort of juice and took a drink, figuring it would be best to start small.

••••••

Nnoitra watched his best friend eat slowly, the man only took a few bites before gently pushing the table away, but it was better than nothing. He certainly seemed to be doing better than the day before. He couldn't help but notice how drawn and tired his usually strong companion looked, but if Grimmjow wasn't going to acknowledge it, neither would he.

He and Ulqui had discussed who would stay the night at the hospital in the car on the way there. They concluded that it would be Nnoitra, and Shinji had insisted that he would be ok alone. He was glad the slim blond understood his need to be here for Grimm.

Starrk yawned from where he sat, making Nnoitra grin. "Yo, Starrk, ya can probably go home an get some real sleep. I think Ulqui and I can babysit fer tha day." He ducked the poorly thrown ball of paper that sailed his way from the bed in the center of the room.

Happy to see that Grimmjow was starting to get his temper back, he cracked up and decided to make fun of him. "Ya throw like a girl, Grimm. I'm a pretty damn big target an ya still can't hit me"

"Oh fuck you. I threw the damn thing right handed." He said, sulking a bit as he gingerly raised his dominant left, which was wrapped from around his hand to his wrist and up his shoulder with think material to keep it mostly immobilized. The doctors had to forcibly put his elbow and shoulder back in place from where he had dislocated the joints in the accident and his wrist would be casted and braced for quite some time.

Nnoitra laughed at him, throwing the paper ball back at him. He laughed harder when Grimm only succeeded in hurting himself, trying to catch the thing. He watched the bluenette wince and glance up at the clock for the billionth time since they got there.

"Why ya keep lookin at the clock?"

Grimmjow got quiet, furrowing his brows a bit and looking down before he answered in a quiet voice. "Isshin is comin' to get me on his break... so I can see Ichi..." He swallowed and looked back at his lanky friend.

Nnoitra didn't know what to say, he just nodded a little, feeling bad for ruining Grimm's seemingly good mood.

••••••

Renji sat in his little apartment, blissfully smoking a blunt and idling flipping channels. These past few days had been wonderful. Getting rid of those two little fuckers had cleared his mind and put him at ease. His life hadn't really changed much, but he had gotten revenge on Ichigo and that made him happy enough. He had waited so long.

He thought to himself, letting his mind wonder to whatever it would as he stared at the TV, not really watching it. He was pulled from his daze as he flipped to a news channel. There was a picture of horrendous car wreck on the screen, a little blue Nissan sat, upside down in the middle of an intersection, glass and scraps of metal littered the surrounding area. Renji smiled as he listened to the reporter and looked at his handy work.

"...happened a few days ago, the two occupants of the vehicle were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Police still don't know what exactly happened, though they speculate it was gang related..." Renji laughed to himself, the lady continued talking on the television. "... we're told that both men in the vehicle survived..." The red head scooted forward on the couch, his blood ran cold as he listened to the woman continue. "...on his way to recovery, while no details have been released about the other man's condition."

Renji threw the remote at the TV, glass shattered and fell to the floor, what was left of the screen fuzzed out. He jumped from his couch, furious and punched a hole in his wall before stomping out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

••••••

Ulquiorra and Starrk left the hospital after Grimmjow had insured them he didn't mind. The nurse had come back in to give Grimmjow his medication. Like she had promised, she didn't bring the sedative that the man hated so much. Grimmjow had taken the pills without issue or hesitation, almost gratefully even. She told him Dr. Kurosaki would be a little late, but that he had promised he would be there before the night was over.

"Hey, Nnoi, you have a knife on you?" Grimmjow asked, eyeing the wrapping covering his left arm, it was about an hour after the nurse had left.

"Sure do." He said, pulling out a small, black Gerber utility knife. Shinji gave him an astonished look and then looked to Grimmjow as Nnoi opened the knife and passed it to the blue haired man, handle first.

Grimmjow took it and set it in his lap for the moment, still inspecting the heavy wrap. He picked at the end that was wrapped around his hand, trying to pull it up and look under. He could see where a blue cast started, hidden by the immobilizing wrap. He picked up the knife again.

"What are ya doin'?" Shinji hissed at him, jumping up and trying to stop him. "Ya can't do that! The doctors wrapped yer arm fer a reason, wait till they take it off!"

Grimmjow growled under his breath. "Wanna see how much of my sleeve survived the accident." He said and began cutting away at the wrapping. Shinji gave him a shocked look and kept trying to get him to stop. Nnoitra bent over in laughter on the couch, finding the whole situation rather amusing.

Grimmjow grunted, letting out a strained breath as he tried to turn and move his arm to make it easier to get at. He grit his teeth through the pain and kept cutting. He heard the door open and looked up.

••••••

Isshin had been called to another patient's room, he knew it would make him late in taking Grimmjow to see Ichi but he would have to make it work. He had sent a message with the man's nurse that he gave his word he would be there.

It was know nearly an hour after the original time he had appointed, but he was sure the man would be awake. He paused at the door, listening to Shinji's unmistakable voice. It was in a hushed tone and he couldn't tell what he was saying, but he sounded a little upset. The sound of deep laughter echoed through the room, he didn't think it sounded like Grimmjow though.

Isshin cracked the door open and stepped in. He stood, unmoving in the door way and watched Grimmjow as he struggled to cut away the confining material on his injured arm. The bluenette looked up at him, then returned to what he was doing, concentrating on not cutting himself open in the process.

"Grimmjow! I told you not to do that!" Shinji exclaimed again, looking up at the doctor with wide eyes. "Mr. Kurosaki!"

Isshin chuckled and walked around the bed, approaching Grimmjow's left side. He patted Shinji's shoulder and watched Grimmjow grit his teeth and struggle for a minute before holding his hand out.

Grimmjow stopped and looked up at him, raising a brow he handed the knife to the doctor. Isshin bent over Grimmjow and pushed him forward a bit, so he was leaning over. He heard the man give a small groan at the movement. "sorry" Isshin said quietly, knowing that it probably hurt to move around still.

"S'fine." Grimmjow grit out between measured breaths. He felt the doctor's hand move his gown away and felt the cold steel of the blade slide along the wrapping where it was bound his shoulder.

Isshin made quick work of it so that he could let Grimmjow lean back again. When he was done, he slowly began unwrapping the material, being careful not to move Grimmjow's arm too much. "I figured you would get curious about the tattoo when I was wrapping you up a few days ago. You could have just asked, I would have taken it off for you."

Grimmjow grunted in reply and watched as his ink sleeve was slowly revealed. He ignored the dull pain in his joint's from the movement as he studied his appendage.

He was bruised a deep purple, almost black around the joints of his elbow and shoulder. There were several cuts and gashes that had been stitched up. The ink would be dulled over those places, but over all it didn't look too bad. There was one area, on his upper arm that had enough flesh torn away to dig deeper than the ink reached, the tattoo was obviously erased in that spot. The memory of hot lead driving through his arm flashed in his mind.

He couldn't see the tattoo under the cast, but he was fairly confident it would be fine. The cast for his shattered wrist wrapped around his thumb, across the middle of his palm and reached a few inches from his elbow. He snorted at the color the doctor had chosen, a dark blue.

He sucked in a strangled breath as Isshin lifted his arm, rotating the shoulder joint. Tilting his head back and squeezing his eyes shut, he let out a quiet yelping sound when the doctor rolled his arm, pressing a hand to the joint. Nnoitra was instantly by his side, a mask of anger covering his expression.

Isshin looked up at the towering man, unintimidated, but he explained anyway. "Since we have the wrap off, I might as well check that the joints are healing properly. It was a pretty bad dislocation, worst I've seen in a long time." He looked up at Grimmjow. "You ok?"

Grimmjow's breathing was a little quick and shallow, but he nodded his head anyway. So Isshin quickly carried out the rest of his check before rewrapping the arm with fresh material, telling Grimmjow not to try cutting it off this time and handed the knife back to Shinji's man.

Isshin wheeled in a chair from the hall and held it in place while Grimmjow's tall friend helped him from the bed. After letting the blue haired man settle in the chair for a moment, he wheeled him out of the room, headed to the ICU and Ichigo.

**AN:Hope you enjoyed~ Let me know what you think!**


	12. Threats and Promises

**AN: I'm going to be leaving town tomorrow and will be gone for a few days, so I'm not sure how long the next update will take. Sorry, Ill try to get it done while I'm gone but can't promise**

**Anyway~ Enjoy  
><strong>

**Chapter 12: Threats and Promises**

Isshin had quietly rolled Grimmjow down the hall, entering the small room that looked into his son's ICU. Ichigo had yet to make any progress and he knew that the boy may never wake up. He was a doctor after all, there was no one that could sugar coat things and give him false hope. And he couldn't bring himself to do that to Grimmjow either, though the young man seemed to understand without a word being said.

All the tests that had been conducted, all the machines hooked up to Ichigo and all the expert opinions were indicating that he had a fifty/fifty chance of waking up. The odds had been plaguing Isshin for almost a week now, but he refused to give up hope. The equipment that monitored brain waves showed a minimal amount of activity, but that was enough to indicate that he was still there, somewhere. His son was strong and he had a lot to live for, he would fight.

Grimmjow finally spoke up from where he sat in front of the small window, staring in at the man he loved. "Can... can I..." He hesitated, feeling his chest tighten and constrict around the words. He saw Ichigo's father nod beside him.

The older man walked around Grimmjow's wheel chair and pushed him toward the door that separated the small room from the one his son lay in. He heard the bluenette take a shaky breath as they entered the room. The smell of antiseptic and the sounds of the medical equipment keeping Ichigo alive greeted them as Isshin pushed Grimmjow to the small bed. He stepped a few feet back, giving the man a bit of privacy. He watched Grimmjow's wide eyes tear up as he took in the sight in front of him. The bluenette tentatively raised a hand and ghosted shaky fingers over Ichigo's pale cheek before taking a cold hand in his own and pressing it to his lips for a moment in a gentle kiss. A tear made a wet trail down the side of Grimmjow's face as he murmured in a soft whisper to his quiet, still lover.

The sight broke Isshin's heart all over again.

••••••

Ulquiorra woke to the sound of his phone, he glanced at the clock and realized that he had over slept. It was nearly nine A.M. Rolling over with a soft grunt of discomfort, he reached for his phone and slowly sat up. The display showed Nnoitra's number. He frowned a bit and flipped the phone open, remembering the last time the lanky man had called him. "Yes, Nnoitra?" He asked into the phone, climbing from his bed.

There was a low rumble from the other end of the phone, then "It's Grimm. Did I wake you?"

Ulquiorra gave a slight frown. "No, I am awake. Why are you calling from Nnoi's phone?" He asked, quick to the point as always.

He heard Grimmjow chuckle from the other end, but it was a humorless, dark sound. "Don't think mine made it out of the car. So. I would love a change of clothing, really getting sick of this gown. I also need someone to make sure Pan is alright..."

"I will be there in one hour. To the hospital within the next."

"Thanks. You still have a spare key, right?" Grimmjow gave another low chuckle. "Never mind, I'm sure you know how to get in without one."

"It will be no problem. I will see you shortly." Ulquiorra hung up and made his way to the kitchen, taking his prescriptions before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

••••••

The nurse gently pushed the door to the blue haired man's room. It was still fairly early and if he wasn't awake, she wanted to let the recovering man sleep. He had looked drawn and exhausted the night before, after he had been brought back to his room by Dr. Kurosaki.

"Oh, Mr. Jaegerjaquez! Your up" She said cheerily as she stepped into the room.

Grimmjow grunted a reply, his eyes trained on the screen of the smallish TV in his room. A look of horror mixed with something more violent crossed his expression. He had woken up a while ago, and seeing how Nnoitra was passed out on the couch, arms and legs hanging everywhere, he had switched the TV on for noise before gingerly making his way to the arm chair next to the hospital bed. He was getting sick of being there, sick of being confined and unable to do anything on his own. Hell, he had to have help just to piss most of the time.

The nurse made her way over to the distracted man. "I hope you didn't strain yourself getting up on your own." She said quietly, seeing the man's sleeping friend. When Grimmjow didn't acknowledge her, she turned to see what was so fascinating on the screen. Video of a terrible accident was playing on the news, it zoomed in a few times, showing the damage to the car and what looked like bullet holes. The news caster was saying something about not having many leads. "That accident has been all over the news for almost a week now, terrible wasn't it?" She turned back to get Grimmjow's pain medication ready.

He grunted and quietly replied. "Yeah. It was." Something in his voice made the nurse look up at him curiously. Catching her glance from the corner of his eye, he continued. "That was mine. My GTR. The accident that is still trying to kill..." His voice trailed off and a pained, yet angry scowl creased his brows. He remembered most of the accident, much more than he wanted too. But this was the first time since waking up in the hospital he had really gotten to look at the aftermath. He took a deep breath and turned away from the screen.

The nurse put a hand to her lips, her eyes were slightly wide as she looked back at the car. She had been told he was in an accident, but the nurses rarely knew the details, just what was wrong with the patient and how to take care of him or her. She put the pieces together and realized he had to be talking about Dr. Kurosaki's comatose son. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered under her breath, not knowing what to say to something like that.

Grimmjow grunted a reply before shutting the TV off and grabbing the pills from her.

••••••

Renji fumed. He paced back and forth in his lieutenant's apartment so furiously that Ikkaku was starting to think he could see a trail in his carpet. It had taken twenty minutes to get the red head to calm down enough to explain what the hell he was so worked up about.

They had been laying low, knowing that the police were all over the place, still trying to figure out who was responsible for the shooting. Their guy that had been sent after that pale bastard in the Stingray hadn't made it, but they found out he was already dead when the police arrived, so at least he couldn't talk. They guessed that the man that killed him wouldn't talk, he was obviously a pro at what he did and wouldn't want to expose himself, so they hadn't been too worried.

But now, it seemed that blue haired freak had survived, and if the news was correct, he was on his way to recovery. They were terrified that he would talk. "He's a faggot too. Maybe he'll just off himself since his little gay boyfriend isn't recovering?" Ikkaku ventured, hoping to put his boss at ease a little.

The red head sent him an angry, doubtful glare. "He didn't seem like the emo type."

"Well... maybe we should leave town till things cool down? Give it a month or so, ne?"

Renji listened to his bald second's suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea. He had contacts, he could probably lay low for a year if he had too. He stopped pacing and nodded his head. "Start makin' calls. I want out of this city by tomorrow."

"Yes, taichou"

••••••

Ulquiorra pulled into the parking lot of Grimmjow's apartment complex. He had managed to get the leader of Espada to lend him a new car so he could move more freely and whenever the need arose. His new car wasn't bad, but it wasn't his Stingray. He promised himself that he would start shopping around for a new one when he got the time.

He made his way up the stairs and let himself into his friend's apartment. Ulquiorra was instantly greeted with a head butt to his thigh by Pantera. The cat gave a chirping meow and sat back down to look at the door expectantly.

Ulquiorra patted her head and went to locate where Grimm kept her food. He refilled her bowl and wandered around the place for a bit, looking for signs that anyone had been there. He found none and concluded that the red headed leader that had gunned Grimm and his man down seemed to be a little unhinged and probably hadn't even thought to go through this place or didn't care to do so.

He made his way down the hall and into Grimmjow's bed room. The bed was unmade, the blankets rumpled and kicked to the foot of the bed from the last time it had been slept in. He walked around it to a closet. Digging through the slightly disorganized space, he found a gym bag and made his way over to Grimmjow's dresser.

He grabbed Grimm's white gym shorts and a black wife beater, trying to choose clothing that would be comfortable for the injured man to wear. He also grabbed a pair of socks and boxers, remembering the last time he had helped the bluenette when he was getting sick. He grimaced slightly, Grimmjow was good enough looking, but he didn't exactly enjoy the peek he ended up with when he found out that the doctors had removed all his clothing before putting the gown on him. Grimmjow was his friend and that was just a little awkward.

He made his way back to the closet, tossing a pair of jeans and a black, zip up hoodie into the bag before sliding the door shut. He grabbed the key to Grimm's bike that he kept in a night stand drawer, knowing Grimm would need it eventually. Ulquiorra could get it out of storage for him later.

He walked back down the hall way and to the door. Pan glanced at him from her spot on the kitchen counter, than returned her stare out the window. Ulquiorra closed and locked the door behind him, heading toward his car.

••••••

Grimmjow looked up at the sound of the room door opening. Ulquiorra stepped inside and greeted him and Nnoitra. The lanky man had been in the middle of giving him shit about not waking him up to help him out of bed.

Grimmjow turned back to Nnoi. " 'sides, Doc said I could start movin around as long as I don't push it, so bite me"

When his lanky friend stood up with a sinister smile and slowly stalked his way toward him, Grimmjow leaned away and made an attempt to get out of the chair as quickly as possible. When that resulted in him only hurting himself, Grimmjow settled for trying to push the man away from him with his one good arm.

Nnoitra cackled like a mad man, enjoying Grimmjow's struggle as he leaned forward. Wasn't everyday it was so easy to over power his usually strong friend.

"Don't you fuckin dare" The bluenette growled at Nnoi, still struggling to keep the man at bay.

Ulquiorra, giving a small chuckle, and came to his injured friend's aid. He restrained Nnoitra, managing to get the taller man in a head lock faster then he could figure out what happened.

"What the hell?" Nnoitra struggled against his surprisingly tough friend, listening to Grimmjow laugh his ass off. After a moment, he gave up struggling and settled for lifting the smaller man from the ground. Ulqui may have been deceptively strong, but he was still pretty tiny. Hearing a small, rather unmanly squeak come from Ulqui, he chuckled and dropped him onto the couch. "That's what ya get fer takin his side."

Grimmjow was busy trying not to laugh, an arm wrapped around his aching and sore abdomen. He winced even as he attempted to stop so he could breath.

Nnoi gave a half assed apology, watching Grimmjow. He wasn't all that sorry for causing his friend pain in such a way. It was nice to see the man smiling, it seemed like so long since the last time he had smiled.

Grimmjow waved off the apology, leaning back in the chair and taking a deep breath. He thanked Ulquiorra for bringing his stuff and grabbed the bag from beside his chair, letting the crooked grin slowly fall from his face. Gingerly, he stood up, using the back of the chair for support and slowly made his way to the bathroom to change.

A few minutes later, he exited the small room, white basketball shorts slung low over his hips, the waist band of black boxers peeking over the tops. Stitched up wounds and plenty of bruising was visible on his left side and the scars that tracked along his abdomen and chest seemed to show more than was normal against his paler than usual skin. He held the black tank top in his right hand and made a face. "Uhh... Dammit." He huffed and tossed the wife beater in Nnoi's face. "Help me out, baka."

Nnoitra pulled the cloth from his face, curling his lip in annoyance until he realized his buddy's plight. Grimmjow had been able to get the gown off because it untied in the back, but without being able to move his arm much, he needed help getting the shirt on.

Laughing, he made his way to Grimm's side. "Man. Not only do I have ta baby sit ya, but I gotta dress ya too." His mirth was short lived. He let out a soft grunt when Grimmjow's big right fist collided with his gut. It wasn't a hard hit, but he certainly felt it. "Tch. Fine"

After several minutes of struggling and trying desperately not to hurt Grimm any more than was necessary, the tank top was finally in place and Grimmjow was dressed. He sighed and restlessly sat back down in the chair. He carefully stood up again a few minutes later. "I'm ganna visit Ichi" he said quietly, and carefully made his way to the door.

Ulqui and Nnoi shared a look before jumping from the couch and joining their friend at the door. "Should I get the wheel chair?" Ulquiorra asked softly.

Grimmjow shook his head a little. "wanna walk." he said just as quietly and exited the room, knowing Ulquiorra and Nnoitra would follow him. He crossed to the other side of the hall, so the wall was on his right side and he would have something to use as support if he needed it while he gingerly made his way down the hall.

Reaching the room at the far end, Grimmjow opened it and let himself in. He heard the men behind him quietly close the door as they entered the room. Standing in front of the window for a few moments, he looked in at Ichigo's body. He would never get over how unlike himself the boy looked in that little room. Grimmjow slowly walked over to the door that lead into the ICU room that held Ichigo. Punching the numbers he had been given by Mr. Kurosaki into the touch pad, he unlocked the door and entered the room. The door was usually unlocked during visiting hours, but he and Isshin had been going to see him at night, so he had been allowed to learn the code needed. It was still too early for visiting hours, but he felt he needed to see Ichi.

Pulling the small office chair from the counter against the wall to the bed, he sat down and grabbed Ichigo's hand. He knew he would be given privacy, his friends knew him well enough to realize when he needed to be left alone.

He held Ichigo's cold hand in his own, lowering his forehead to rest against his knuckles and Ichi's, he took a deep breath before letting tears sting his eyes. "Hey, Ichi." He said quietly. "Don't know if you can hear me, but I love ya... I should have told you that already. I'll be here to tell you again when you wake up." He sat quietly for a while, lost in his thoughts, brushing his fingers against Ichigo's palm. He vaguely heard the door behind him open, but didn't pay attention to it. "You just keep fighting, Ichi. I know you'll wake up when your ready too." He paused, wiping at his eyes a bit. "And I'll go hunting." He added in a whisper.

••••••

Dr. Kurosaki made his way to his son's lover's room. He had been visiting the man more and more, almost as much as he visited his own son. Something about him made Isshin feel closer to Ichigo, and the more he got to know Grimmjow, the more he decided he like him. Ichi had done well.

He peeked into Grimmjow's room, only to find it empty. He looked around for a moment, confused. The wheel chair still sat in the corner, but the bed wasn't made with fresh sheets, so he knew the man hadn't been released, and the few belongings Grimmjow had with him were still in place.

Isshin pondered a moment, Grimmjow's lanky, slightly over protective buddy was missing also. He turned and left the room, headed toward his son's room.

He opened the door to find two young men sitting quietly against the wall. He recognized them as Grimm's friends. They all must have been very close. He glanced through the window at the blue haired man sitting by his son. Grimmjow had changed out of the gown, he noted, he looked much more like himself in street clothing. The bluenette was currently sitting, head bowed, his forehead resting against Ichigo's hand where he held it in his own.

Isshin took a seat beside the other two men in the room, giving Grimmjow his space.

After a few minutes, he watched Grimm raise his head to look at Ichi's face. He opened the door and stepped in, quietly making his way to join the younger male. He could hear him talking in a quiet tone, though Grimmjow gave no indication that he knew or cared that Isshin was there. As he drew near, he caught Grimmjow's words; "...I'll go hunting." They were said with a finality and force that could mean only one thing, and he had learned enough about Grimmjow to believe he would do it.

Isshin grabbed his black beater, hoisting him from his seat to stand up on his toes. The chair fell back ward with a loud clatter and Grimmjow's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in contained anger. He heard chairs scuff the tile in the other room and knew Grimmjow's friends were scrambling to get to them.

"Don't do it, Grimmjow." Isshin set his jaw and shook the younger man a bit. Grimmjow made no move against him. His left arm rested in a sling and he held his right out to the side in a non threatening way but his lip curled in a silent snarl, his honed muscles flexed and twitched and Isshin could see he was ready to defend himself if it came to that. "What happens when you get caught? Do you think you being in prison will help him?" He shouted in Grimmjow's face, pointing toward the bed with his free hand.

Grimmjow's two friends skidded to a halt, effectively surrounding Isshin where he stood, holding the bluenette by the shirt. At the back of his mind, he wondered how they had gotten into the locked room.

He watched Grimmjow raise his good arm a bit, patting at the air. The two backed off a little, but they remained close and watchful. Isshin felt the man trembling, though he couldn't tell if it was adrenalin and anger or fear or pain, he doubted it was fear. He noted that Grimmjow's face had paled some, his jaw was tensed like he was gritting his teeth. Grimmjow said nothing, his gaze never leaving Isshin's face, his blue eyes were cold and filled with seething anger, yet Isshin could see the pain and guilt swimming in their depths. He relaxed his hold some, letting the man down a bit and off his toes. He took a deep breath and continued in a more calm and quiet tone. "Or what if something goes wrong and the bastard kills you instead? What would I tell him then?"

Grimmjow growled, Isshin could feel it vibrate low in the man's chest. He started to understand what Shinji had meant about the bluenette having a wild temper to match his wild hair. But he knew Grimmjow to be an honest man, his feelings for Ichigo were genuine and strong and thats what had driven him to wanting blood on his hands. "You will only be hurting him more if you do it." Isshin paused, searching Grimmjow's eyes. He saw some of the rage retreat, and watched sorrow take its place. "Promise me you wont do it... Promise him you wont do it."

Grimmjow finally lowered his gaze away from Isshin's face. He nodded; a quick, subtle movement, but it was a promise nonetheless.

The doctor released his hold on Grimmjow's shirt and the man all but collapsed, his lanky best friend catching him as he issued a low, airy groan. Shaking lightly, Grimmjow allowed himself to lean a little more weight onto Nnoitra than he would have liked to admit.

Nnoi didn't complain and he did his best to make it look like Grimm was more in control than he was as he stared Dr. Kurosaki down, his violet eye filled with threats and barely restrained anger. No one treated his best friend and brother like that. Especially when Grimm was too weak and injured to do anything about it. He saw Ulquiorra move his hand away from his weapon, warily eyeing the doctor as he came around to Nnoitra's side, crossing between Grimmjow and the older man to reach Grimmjow's other side.

"Grimmjow. Are you all right?" Ulquiorra's voice was soft, but his eyes were hard where they burned into Isshin, a man Grimmjow seemed to trust, even see as a friend.

The bluenette nodded his head. "I'm fine, Ulqui." His voice was a whisper.

Isshin sighed, he felt terrible about putting so much strain on the man's still healing and bruised muscles. It had obviously taken a lot out of him to be kept on his toes and standing straight, the way Isshin had been holding him. "Grimmjow..." his voice was soft and regretful. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you...I just..."

Grimmjow snapped his head up to look at him. His body may have been trembling slightly and weak, but he was not. His eyes were clear as he took a few deep breaths, steadying himself to speak. "I know your right..." his gaze flicked to Ichigo's still body, then settled back on Isshin. "I wont go looking for him...but if we run into each other...I can't tell you I will be able to keep my promise." His voice was deep and serious.

Isshin nodded, he understood Grimmjow's want for making the culprit suffer. He wanted the bastard who had done this to his son to suffer just as much as Grimmjow did, but he didn't want to see Grimmjow do anything stupid or get hurt. He was beginning to love the kid like he did Ichigo.

Grimmjow took a few more seconds to steady himself against Nnoitra before squeezing Nnoi's arm in a silent thank you and stepping away. He carefully took the few steps that would bring him to Ichigo's side. Bending over, he ghosted his lips against a cool, pale forehead "I'll be back to see you again, Ichi." He whispered against Ichigo's cheek before straightening and gingerly making his way to the door.

Isshin heaved a heavy sigh and righted the chair that had been knocked over, setting it by his son's bed, he lowered himself into it and closed his eyes.


	13. Coming and Going

**AN: Finally got back from visiting family and have an update for you guys now, hope i didn't make you wait too long  
>Enjoy~<br>**

**Chapter 13: Coming and Going**

Dr. Kurosaki looked up from his paper work, turning from his desk as a flustered nurse entered his office. He raised a brow before his classic, goofy smile etched across his face. "What can I do for you?" He asked, looking at the girl and recognizing her as the nurse assigned to a certain blue haired man. Her face was flushed and she looked exasperated. Isshin couldn't fully hide his amusement, knowing exactly who had gotten under her skin. He had learned that Grimmjow could have that effect on people when he wanted too.

From the door, the bluenette's nurse stepped in and bowed politely before speaking. "One of your patients is demanding to be released. It's a full three days ahead of his minimal release date, but he wont listen and is beginning to get out of hand, sir."

Isshin smiled at the nurse, unperturbed by her plight. "Let me guess, your rather impatient charge happens to be Grimmjow?"

"Uhh... yes, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, sir." Her wide eyes silently begged him for assistance and she looked as if she had no idea what to do.

Isshin stood from his chair, holding his hand out to the nurse. "Let me see his chart, please. I'll go talk to him."

The nurse gratefully produced the folder and excused herself from his office to continue making her rounds and checking on less animated and demanding patients.

Flipping through the pages, Isshin left the office. In Grimmjow's chart was a full report of the man's vitals; blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, etc. The chart even contained records of his food consumption, how often and how much he urinated and any notes the nurses deemed could be important since the night he was emitted. Grimmjow had not been happy when he had learned that he would have to pee in a bottle and let the nurse measure it. He paused at a random thought. How did Grimmjow manage to pee in the bottle without a nurses help when he only had one arm at the moment? He shook his head a bit and decided he would probably rather not know.

Reading through the chart, Isshin made his way to Grimmjow's room. He hadn't spoken to the man since their confrontation in Ichigo's room, but he suspected Grimmjow wasn't the type to hold a grudge over something like that. The man was brash and wild, but he had a good head on his broad shoulders. He was reasonable and intelligent. Though his tall, bandana wearing friend seemed less forgiving, over protective at least, but his loyalty to the bluenette had to be a good thing during the tough times Grimmjow was surely going through.

Dr. Kurosaki knocked on the door before pushing it open. He watched Grimmjow bristle slightly, something like amused annoyance flashed through his blue eyes before being replaced by a sheepish grin.

••••••

Nnoitra sat and watched his friend's antics with as straight a face as he could muster. Grimmjow had been giving his nurse a hard time. He was demanding to be released, telling her he was going to charge the hospital for kid napping, and maybe even sue her personally for touching him inappropriately while he was drugged, just generally giving the poor girl a lot of shit, most of it pulled right out of his ass. The bluenette let his handsome and charming smile disarm her and lure her into thinking she was safe, just to send her reeling and on her toes with his words and attitude. She seemed incapable of determining if he was being serious or just joking and it was obvious by the way she turned a pretty shade of crimson that she liked the blue haired man more than in a doctor/ patient way. Grimmjow had always been able to get exactly what he wanted one way or another, and right now, overwhelming the already flustered and rattled nurse was proving to be great entertainment for Nnoitra.

The bluenette's grin consumed his face and he turned to his lanky buddy when the nurse stormed out, sputtering in incomplete sentences and face bright red. "Told ya, I'll be out of here by the end of the day."

Nnoi shook his head, still chuckling from his seat on the couch as he watched Grimm make his way to sit beside him. "I never fuckin' doubted ya" he said as Grimmjow sank into the cushions with a sigh.

He knew Grimmjow had only been pacing and storming about the room in feigned agitation to make the nurse buy into his little act of complete health and give the girl a good look at him too, just to mess with her even more. The man was indeed regaining his strength, but his body was still on it's road to recovery, no matter how convincingly he acted for the poor woman.

Hearing a knock on the door, Grimmjow jumped up from the couch and schooled his face into a straight and semi-angry look as he glared at the door, expecting the nurse to be returning. When Mr. Kurosaki entered the room, he let the look fall and a small grin replaced it, certain that the nurse had told the doctor all about him making an ass of himself.

The doctor shook his head lightly as he crossed the room, a small smile on his lips, and dropped a hand over the blue haired man's shoulder. He watched the man's small wince, it was slight and well covered, but Isshin had been looking for it. "Go ahead and have a seat, Grimm. No need to test your acting skills on me" His tone was light and amused.

He watched Grimmjow give a small, one shouldered, half shrug, and a shit eating grin before he retook his seat beside his towering friend.

Isshin pinned the younger man with a stern look. "The nurse tells me you seem quite adamant about leaving today." The doctor crossed his arms, studying Grimmjow's reaction and face as he spoke. Isshin watched chiseled features follow suit with his own as the man returned his serious expression.

"Can't sit here any longer. It's driving me insane to just...sit...and think..." The words were quiet and a haggard, pleading look flashed in suddenly weary looking, blue eyes.

Isshin knew the answer to be honest. He nodded and let his features soften back to his normal self. "Alright." He said softly before continuing. He motioned for Grimmjow to sit on the hospital bed. "Let me check up on the progress of your injuries before we decide anything." Isshin walked over and checked Grimmjow's vitals first, spending a few seconds scribbling in the chart after checking his temperature and pulse. "Lift your shirt for me, please."

Grimmjow complied and lifted the black beater as much as he could with one arm in a sling and getting in the way, revealing his toned and still slightly discolored abdomen.

Isshin gently pressed his fingertips against the bluenette's ribcage, moving from chest to waist and slowly working his way inward, testing the tenderness of Grimmjow's extensive bruising and making sure nothing seemed out of place. Next, he began checking Grimm's more internal bruising, he couldn't be exact with just an external, physical exam, but this would tell him if he needed to do ex-rays or MRIs to double check. He pressed his fingertips a little harder against the toned muscle below his hands and paused to look up when the younger male let out a small grunt, though he hadn't moved.

"Felt weird.. Tickled a little." Grimmjow mumbled quietly in answer to Isshin's questioning glance.

After a few more minutes of probing and testing various areas on Grimmjow's abdomen, Isshin stepped back and let Grimmjow lower his shirt.

"So can he get the hell outta here now?" Nnoitra asked from his place on the couch, his tone almost a growl and little biting. He crossed his arms and glared at the doctor.

Isshin glanced at the lanky, raven haired man that had spoken before returning his attention to Grimmjow. "I'm going to take a look at his arm before he goes anywhere." He answered. "I want to make sure you're healing well and wont have any issues in the future."

Grimmjow nodded and began working the strap to his sling over his head. "So how long am I going to be in this thing anyway?"

Isshin began unwinding the wrap, starting at his shoulder, before answering. "Well, it was a pretty bad break. You'll be in the cast for three to six months, I'm going to say closer to six than three, and then it could take up to a year to completely heal enough to remove the pins." He watched Grimmjow cringe at the thought of metal pins in his wrist as he continued to unwrap the man's injured arm.

Grimmjow grit his teeth as Dr. Kurosaki slowly rotated his arm at the shoulder, hand pressed lightly to the joint. "lovely... and how long am I going to have to deal with this?" He ground out, using his right hand to motion to what the doctor was doing.

"Tough to say. Your joints seem to be healing quite nicely, but obviously there's still some discomfort. I would recommend keeping it wrapped until your check up visit in a month and we'll go from there." Isshin released the arm and stepped back as he spoke, observing the way Grimmjow gingerly cradled it with his good arm. He had to give the younger man credit, he didn't let his pain show in his features, which could be a good or bad thing, either way, he seemed like a pretty tough man.

"Try moving it on your own. Just bend it at the elbow for now, like this." He instructed, bending his own arm to show how he meant. He watched Grimmjow mimic his movements, a small grimace crossed his features, but he showed no signs that it was too painful to continue. "Alright, now lift your arm and hold it straight out." Isshin lifted his own arm so that it looked like he was pointing in front of him.

Grimmjow did as he was instructed, rotating his shoulder. He grit his teeth and furrowed his brow a bit but was determined to ignore his pain. After Dr. Kurosaki had him go through a few more movements, testing how everything felt and how well he could move his limb about, the doctor began to rewrap his arm.

"I'm going to sign your release papers." Isshin wrapped the arm in a way that Grimmjow would be able to unwrap and rewrap it on his own for showering and whatnot, he also detailed how to care for the bluenette's injuries and medication to both Grimmjow and his tall friend. Isshin took several minutes to give explanations and instructions and answer any questions the two younger men had.

After listening to the doctor, the bluenette turned to his friend. "Nnoi, you got your car here, right?"

"Ya think I walked here ta take care a yer ass?" Nnoitra produced his keys from his pant's pocket and jingled them in front of his buddy's face. The lanky man looked from Grimm to Isshin before continuing. "I'll pull the car around an meet ya at the entrance, ne?"

Nodding, Grimmjow bent to grab the gym bag that Ulquiorra had brought to him and tossed it at Nnoitra's head. "Take this with you, I'll be out in a few minutes." He ignored the man's annoyed look and watched Nnoi exit the room before turning back to the doctor.

"Grimmjow, do not strain yourself." Isshin told him with a stern, fatherly look. "You need to heal and be strong when he wakes up..." He paused, then continued in a quieter voice. "and remember your promise to my son."

Grimmjow nodded, his eyes lowered away from Isshin and the two headed toward the door and made their way to Ichigo's room. Once there, Isshin left, saying he would go and fill out all of Grimmjow's paper work and prescriptions and meet him back in the ICU room in a few minutes. He left the room, quietly closing the door behind him to give the bluenette some space.

••••••

Nnoi watched the doctor enter the room and check out his friend's injuries. The older man grated on his nerves and he didn't trust him. No one threatened his friends. Grimmjow hadn't told him what the doctor's violent out burst had been about and he didn't pressure the bluenette into talking about it, but that didn't make it right and he sure as hell didn't have to like it.

Grimmjow lifted his wife beater and the doctor began inspecting his diaphragm, Nnoitra assumed he was making sure the bruising was healing and no more permanent damage was threatening the bluenette, though he mostly tuned out what the doctor said, more focused on being paranoid and making sure the doc didn't suddenly try to kill his friend again.

"So can he get the hell outta here now?" Nnoitra asked when the doctor had started writing things down again. He had yet to say a word since the doctor had entered. Kurosaki said something about Grimm's arm, but again, Nnoi was hardly paying attention to his words, just his actions and his friend's reactions.

He may not like the older man for how he had treated his friend the other night, but at the same time, he didn't intend to let Grimm walk out of the hospital if he still wasn't fit enough. He loved the man like a brother and he knew Grimmjow was too stubborn for his own good sometimes. After he had watched Dr. Kurosaki work and looked for any signs of discomfort from his friend, he was fairly convinced that Grimm was fine. Well, as fine as one could expect a man in his position to be.

The doctor stepped back from Grimmjow and had him go through a series of movements. The blue haired man looked a little retarded doing them, but Nnoi understood their importance. Occasionally he caught a flash of pain cross his friend's face, but Grimmjow gave no indications that he wouldn't continue.

After a few minutes of going through motions, the doctor began to wrap more stretchy, ace like material around his blue haired friend's arm, he spoke while he wrapped. "I'm going to sign your release papers."

Nnoitra was careful to listen to Dr. Kurosaki's instructions about how to care for Grimmjow's injuries, knowing that the bluenette would more than likely be too stubborn to care for himself unless someone made him.

Grimmjow addressed his friend, asking him about driving, though Nnoitra knew it to be a rhetorical question to get him out of the room. After giving the bluenette a smart ass comment, he shot a look his way, silently asking the man if he would be ok alone with the doctor. They had been friend's for so long there was no need for words, and Grimmjow's answering look sufficed in putting Nnoi at ease.

He left the room and made his way to the elevator. He stepped in and selected the ground floor before pulling his phone from the pocket of his tight jeans. He sent a quick message to Ulquiorra and Starrk, updating them on Grimm's release from the hospital.

His phone buzzed just as he was shoving it back into his pocket and the doors to the elevator opened with a bing.

Ulquiorra's name and number flashed on the screen. _"His chart indicated that he was to be released 3 days from today, at the earliest."_

Nnoitra snorted. The nurse had tried to tell them as much, but leave it to Ulqui to have that information before anyone else. He typed up a quick reply, exiting the hospital building. _"Yeah. ya kno how persuasive he can be..."_

"_Indeed. when are you leaving?"_

"_Pullin the car around for him now." _Nnoitra paused, looking around the parking lot to find his car before hitting the send button. He unlocked the vehicle and threw the gym bag in the back and took his place in the driver's seat, starting the car.

His phone buzzed again and he glanced at it before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the parking space. _"I will meet you at his place and double check that he has had no unwanted visitors." _Nnoi curled his lip a bit at the thought and told Ulquiorra they would be there shortly.

He pulled the car around to the front entrance and got out, walking around to the passenger side to open the door and scoot the seat back to make it a little more roomy and hopefully more comfortable for Grimmjow. Leaning against the car by the open passenger door, he waited for Grimm to exit the hospital building.

••••••

Ulquiorra entered the grounds of Grimmjow's apartment complex for the second time that week. He let his trained eyes wander the parking lot, looking for anything that seemed out of place as he parked his vehicle and made his way to Grimmjow's front door, hefting a large, black, padded case by it's single strap to rest across his back.

The news broadcast of Grimmjow's survival had not escaped his attention and he wouldn't be surprised if that red headed gang leader had heard about it also. It was hard to predict what a man not in his right mind would do, but Ulquiorra was certain Grimm was safe while at the hospital with Nnoitra, and he would insure he was safe when he got home as well.

Ulquiorra had seriously been debating going after the small gang that had harmed him and his friend on his own. It wouldn't have been excessively difficult and he held no doubt that he would have been able to round up a few men from Espada to help him if he felt he needed it, though he knew he wouldn't have needed the help. There would have been no stalking and waiting like last time, just a few clean and simple shots. Ulquiorra's specialty.

But he had refrained from doing so, unsure as to how Grimmjow would react. Surely, if the bluenette had wanted him to clean up he would have said so by now, and ask was all Grimmjow would have needed to do. No, Ulquiorra figured Grimmjow had his reasons for not asking him to go after the red head, and so he would respect that. For now at least.

He opened the door to Grimmjow's apartment and stepped in, carefully and quietly closing it behind him. Grimm's cat immediately let out a low warning hiss at the intruder before cautiously making her way to Ulquiorra. The slim man reached a pale hand out to her, allowing Pantera to sniff at him while he took a few minutes to listen and let his eyes continue their survey. He made his way over to the kitchen counter and set his rifle down, leaving it in it's case, the large cat following silently behind him.

Ulquiorra judged by the cat's actions that no one was in the apartment, and probably hadn't been since the last time he had entered the building. He cautiously made his way down the hall, hand resting on the Glock tucked in his belt, checking every room and inspecting all the windows anyway, just to be on the safe side. When he finally made his way to the master bed room, he paused with a slight, barely noticeable frown marring his stoic features. Ulquiorra doubted that Grimm would want to sleep in this room after what had obviously been the last thing to transpire before the accident. He let out a low sigh and walked over to the bed, stripping the still rumpled and unmade sheets from the mattress and replacing them with a set of clean ones he found in Grimmjow's closet. He could at least attempt to make things a little easier on the man when he got home.

The sound of Pantera's excited chirping drew him from his contemplations and he exited the bed room to meet Grimmjow and Nnoitra at the door.

••••••

The black SUV rolled down the shrub lined street, taking a right and entering a nice looking housing addition. Ikkaku made a face as he watched the rows of nearly identical houses with their perfectly manicured lawns slide by from his place in the driver seat.

His taichou had found them a place to stay, owned by a wealthy family Renji and his gang had contact with. They would be able to lay low and wait for the heat to die down for as long as they needed and no one would think to look for them in a place like this. It was located in a neighboring city, still close enough to home that they could easily keep an eye on their territory, but far enough away that it wasn't likely to be a danger to be there and no one would recognize them.

Renji flipped his phone open from where he sat in the back, a half smoked cigarette hanging between his teeth as he sang the lyrics to a random Nine Inch Nails song he couldn't come up with the name for as it pored from the speakers.

**...chin held high and you feel just fine **

**Because you do **

**What you're told **

**But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold...**

The red head paused, giving a small, strained smile as he read the message on his screen. The expression was more a baring of teeth than a smile, really. The gang and himself had agreed that he and his bald second in command, Ikkaku, would leave town, as they had had the most contact with the blue haired fairy and they would be the most easily recognized. The rest of Zabimaru were also laying low, but they had been told to keep their ears and eyes open as they moved about the city, keeping their leader updated and informed.

Renji hated leaving his men behind, hated not being on the front line, but leaving was necessary, and apparently he and his lieutenant had chosen the perfect time to make their escape from the city. The blue haired man in question was seen leaving the hospital with his tall, intimidating friend from the tattoo parlor just an hour ago according to Yumi's message. The effeminate man also told him the pale assassin from the Stingray they had tried to off was buzzing about the blue haired man's apartment, no doubt searching for signs of their presence. And this time, it seemed he had brought some serious hard ware with him from what Yumichika could tell him. They had already found out the ghostly man could disappear and reappear when he chose, seemingly dropping off the radar. It made it incredibly hard to find out who, if anyone, he worked for. Renji suspected he was tied to a larger group, but was unable to dig up any info on him, the only thing he had to go by were the green lines down his pale face. The man meant business and the red head warned Yumi to stay clear of him, not wanting to loose another good man.

Renji snorted. "Good thing we didn't end up sackin that faggot's place." He mumbled to Ikkaku, taking a drag from his cigarette before he turned to the window and continued his song.

**...What if this whole crusade's**

**A charade**

**And behind it all there's a price to be paid**

**For the blood**

**On which we dine...**

••••••

Grimmjow climbed into the passenger side of Nnoitra's car, rolling the window down and leaning back in the seat, making himself comfortable as Nnoi closed the door for him. The lanky man crossed in front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat, he glared out the window with his one good eye at the doctor still standing outside his vehicle.

Nnoitra reluctantly gave Dr. Kurosaki his number, so that the man could get a hold of Grimmjow if anything changed with the bluenette's lover, since his own phone hadn't made it out of the car. Grimm had scribbled his address in barely legible writing with his right hand on a scrap of paper from Nnoi's car and gave it to the doctor through the open window, telling him he was welcome to come by at any point if he wished.

The doctor finally bid them farewell, telling them to be careful and instructing Nnoitra to make sure Grimmjow took care of himself before he returned to the hospital. The car roared to life and Nnoi glanced at Grimm. "Seat belt." The lanky man mumbled, turning the radio on.

The bluenette grunted but reached up and brought the strap down around his midriff, careful not to let the chest belt cross his left arm. He absently fingered the trusty Gerber knife he had replaced in the waist of his shorts, thinking about the last time he was in a car. Isshin had given him a little, plastic bag containing the knife and a few other random objects he had had on him during the accident, including his wallet and a leather wrist band he had been wearing.

"swing by the pharmacy before we get to my place, will ya?" He asked the raven haired man next to him, his attention directed out the window. "Might as well pick this shit up before I get comfy at home." He mumbled quietly.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes but did as he was asked, happy that Grimm at least seemed like he was willing to go as far as taking the pain killers and the anti-inflammatory the doctor had prescribed him.

They made the trip quick, Grimmjow was ready to be back at his own place and growing impatient, not that Nnoitra really blamed him. Being at a hospital for too long could drive anyone insane.

They drove the few blocks down the road away from the pharmacy and pulled into the parking lot, next to Ulquiorra's new ride. Nnoitra killed the engine and reached in the back, grabbing the gym bag and exiting the car. Grimmjow stood upright, closing the passenger door and glancing around the surrounding area.

"Don't worry. Ulqui's already here and made sure ya don have any unwanted visitors." Nnoitra said, walking toward the front door beside his friend.

Grimmjow snorted and half heartedly punched Nnoitra's arm. "Then why the hell are you here?"

Nnoitra glared down at his shorter friend, angry retort forming in his mouth, violet eye shimmering, but Grimmjow wasn't paying attention. A slow, genuine grin spread across his face as they approached the door.

A high pitched, chirping, meow greeted them and Grimmjow threw the door open. A flying and incredibly excited Pantera nearly knocked him from his feet as she jumped up, planting her front paws on his belly and showing her affection. Grimmjow just laughed and steadied himself against the door jamb, before bending down to scoop the large cat up in his arm and carry her inside. She nuzzled at his neck and face while he made his way to the couch and plopped down into the inviting cushions, smiling like a mad man. "I fuckin missed you too" he said quietly, chuckling as he rubbed under her chin and neck.

Nnoitra closed the door, nodding to Ulqui as they followed the sound of a deep, rumbling purr. He smirked at the sight of his best friend cuddling with his damn cat and suddenly he wasn't sure which one the purring was coming from. Maybe both of them? The cat had her head pressed up under Grimmjow's chin, his head tilted back as he scratched under her chin with his uninjured arm wrapped around her torso, the happy smile still plastered to his handsome face, his blue eyes lit with a life that had been absent for far too long.


	14. Out and About

**AN: Hope I didn't make you wait too long for this chapter ^^; I've been pretty busy with work and rather uninspired the last couple days. Sorry if it shows in my writing . Hope you enjoy anyway~  
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**Chapter: 14 Out and About**

Grimmjow turned the water off and stepped from the steamy shower, clouds of hot, foggy, air billowing from around the curtain. He sighed and wiped his hand across the steamed up mirror, revealing his reflection. He looked tired, even to himself. After his release from the hospital, he had delighted in cuddling with his cat and promptly passed out to catch up on much needed rest. He had slept for almost two days straight, only waking to piss once or twice. But since then, he had hardly slept at all, the few hours he managed to capture each night were filled with tossing and turning and left him even more exhausted when he awoke.

His right arm stretched above his head, he scrubbed the fluffy, black towel through his unruly, blue hair before dragging it down and drying the rest of his body. The bluenette threw the towel back over his head, continuing to dry as much of the access water out of his hair as possible while he left the bathroom. Entering his room, he grabbed the ace wrap from his bed and meticulously rewrapped his injured arm. He left the wrap off occasionally, intent on strengthening the limb so he would be able to use it, but he didn't do anything too strenuous, not wanting to make it take any longer to fully heal.

The apartment was quiet and he hit the button to his stereo, enjoying the slow, deep melody of Audioslave's, Shadow on the Sun. Grimmjow loved his friends and appreciated all they had and still did for him, but he was grateful for them finally leaving him alone when he asked. After he had gotten home, Ulquiorra had set up shop and scouted the area for the two days he had slept, making sure no one would come after him. Finally convinced, the two raven haired men had agreed he would be fine on his own, but they assured him they were only a call away if he needed anything. What he needed though, no one could give him.

He had considered asking Ulqui to hunt down that red haired baboon, but he knew it wouldn't have helped, and the bastard had a deep connection with Ichigo's past. That and Grimmjow's promise to his comatose lover is all that had stopped him from asking for the man's heart on a silver plater. He knew Ulquiorra would have been all to happy to indulge him. He may have even helped Grimmjow cook and eat it. Curling his lip and pressing the volume button on his remote, Grimmjow cranked the stereo up a little louder, drowning out his own thoughts.

The towel dropped to the floor of his bedroom, he walked, still naked, over to his closet and grabbed a pair of loose fitting, black, acid washed jeans and a button up shirt. He pulled on a pair of dark purple boxers, followed by the pants he had selected. He gingerly buttoned them up and carefully slipped into the charcoal grey shirt. Pausing for a moment, he decided he didn't care enough to try buttoning the damn thing, or to put a belt on to hold the loose jeans up. The bluenette found that the everyday tasks such as those were some of the most difficult when one only had a single arm they could fully use. He shrugged to himself and couldn't really be bothered to care if he looked like shit at the moment, the only problem with that was that he didn't own anything he looked bad in. Oh well.

Jeans slung low over his hips, exposing the waist band of his purple boxers and shirt hanging open, he made his way back down the hall, grabbing Pantera's leash from a hook by the door. He jingled it a few times and the large cat came running to him. Grimmjow smiled down at her and clasped the leash to her jeweled collar. He stuffed his wallet into his back pocket and his Gerber into the waist of his jeans before grabbing the sling from the counter, working the strap over his head and around his torso. He rested his wrapped left arm in place and opened the front door, Pan's leash held in his teeth as he locked and closed it behind them.

Grabbing the leash in his right hand, Grimmjow scanned the surrounding area as he and Pantera walked through the parking lot, headed toward Grind. He hadn't been there since before the accident and needed something to do today. Not that he could actually do any ink with his dominate hand casted, wrapped and held in a sling, but he still felt the need to show up and let his clients know he was alive. Nnoitra had told him that he had shut the place down for a while during Grimmjow's stay at the hospital, leaving a sign in the window, apologizing and stating they had an emergency to attend to. Now that he had reopened and was working on a regular basis again, most of the regulars were bugging Nnoi about the blue haired artist's absence.

Sighing to himself, the bluenette let his right hand drop and tickle at Pan's ear absently, leash looped around his wrist. The cat looked up at him, rubbing against his thigh as they walked down the street. It had been a while since she had been out for a walk and Grimmjow smiled at the happy prance in her step as she padded next to him. He chuckled lightly, picking his pace up a little, into a light jog. Pantera gladly matched his quicker pace, stretching her slim and muscular body into a long, loping gate, tugging at the leash lightly in her effort to urge him into a faster pace.

Rounding a corner into a narrower street, they slowed back to a walk. The short jog had felt great and Grimmjow decided it was just what he needed. Maybe after they visited Grind Ink. he would return home and change into work out clothing and take Pan for a longer run. Considering where they should jog too, Grimmjow was brought back to the present by a deep, hissing growl emitting from Pan. He stiffened, looking up and automatically preparing for the worst, but relaxed at the sight of a slim, feminine looking man with straight, chin length black hair passing by them in the ally way. The man's greyish eyes flicked to Grimm, then down to his cat, a perfectly manicured brow raising fractionally. He gave a small smile and tilted his head in greeting but continued on his way without a word.

Grimmjow snorted quietly through his nose and tapped Pan on the top of her head, drawing her attention away from the stranger. He guided her around another corner and out onto a wider street, just a block away from Grind.

••••••

The bell rang from the front door of the little parlor. Nnoitra left the small storage area in the back and came to the main lobby area, ink stained towel in hand. He gave a wide smile to his visitor, revealing straight teeth, and tucked a corner of the old towel into the back pocket of his faded jeans.

"Grimm, good ta see ya out a the apartment." He said, walking up to his friend and handing him a new cell phone, "Here, made a trip to the store this morinin', has the same number as yer old one." He added, bending to pat Pan on the head. She pushed into him, enjoying the attention. From above him, Grimmjow thanked him then snorted a bit. "Wha?" he asked, standing back up and seeing his friend's raised brow and slight smirk. He turned to see what the bluenette was looking at.

Nnoitra reached a long arm out and hooked it around the slim blond's waist, effectively pulling Shinji too his side. "No need ta hide behind me, he ain't ganna bite ya."

Shinji gave him a small smile, "Maybe I'd like it if he bit me." He stated as if it were obvious, then directed his attention back to Grimmjow. "How are ya holdin' up, handsome?" He asked, winking at the bluenette playfully. Shinji ignored the look on Nnoitra's face. A small smirk tugged at his lips that threatened to consume his face at his man's jealousy.

Shrugging, Grimmjow purposely ignored the question. "Gettin' some ink done?" He asked the shorter blond, changing the subject and shooting an amused look at Nnoi.

"Nah, jus keepin' Nnoi company" Shinji answered, lowering himself to sit cross legged in front of Pantera, the cat stretched across his lap and purred.

"Yeah, bet you are." The bluenette said, quietly chuckling and lightly smacking Nnoitra in the arm. Nnoitra laughed and made a lewd gesture that both, Grimmjow and Shinji, ignored. Shaking his head, Grimmjow walked over and sat down on the top of his desk, watching the way Pantera seemed to be enjoying the blond's affection and petting. He snorted and stuck his right hand in the pocket of his loose jeans. "Really thought she wasn't in a friendly mood today. On our walk here, she started growling at a random guy we passed, she don't normally do that." He shrugged and continued staring at the cat.

Nnoitra walked over and leaned against the desk beside his friend, studying him from the corner of his good eye. "maybe she just didn't like the guy" Nnoi crossed his arms over his lean chest. "Or maybe she's just feedin off a yer paranoia, ya have been a lil jumpy lately" He added a quick "But it's understandable" after receiving a withering glare that was shot his way.

••••••

The effeminate man walked down the ally, headed toward the apartment complex he had been scoping out off and on for the past week or so. Turning around a corner, he almost ran face first into the target of his attention. The blue haired man seemed lost in thought, Yumichika had noticed his mind seemed busy often whenever he observed the man. The slender male guessed his mind was probably on his comatose and hopefully dying orange haired lover. What a waste. Both men were beautiful, now, one lay in a hospital bed, possibly never to wake up and the other might as well be lost to the world. Yumi let out a silent sigh and regarded the man and his... pet cat?

The blue haired man looked tired, like he hadn't seen a good night's sleep in weeks. His grey shirt was left open, revealing a slightly scared torso, stitched and healing wounds peeked out from his left side, tracing the man's ribs. His left arm was wrapped in a think material and held in a sling. If Yumi remembered correctly, Renji had told him about how the bluenette had been hanging upside down, arm shoved through the spokes of his steering wheel. How unbeautiful.

The large feline attached to a leash gave a low sound, somewhere between a hiss and a growl, it's long, sharp fangs bared in threat and black, pointed ears held flat against it's head. The bluenette finally looked up, gorgeous blue eyes narrowed and body tensed. He watched the man relax a bit and let his vision settle on the cat as he passed by them. He gave a benign smile and nodded in acknowledgement before continuing on his way. Once he was sure the blue haired man had returned his attention ahead of him, Yumi turned back around and snapped a quick picture of the man and his cat with his phone, he tucked the device into his pocket and rounded the corner, out of sight.

Yumi had always pegged the blue haired man his Taichou had him following around for a cat person, but that had been unexpected. To think, the man had a giant of a cat that looked as if it could put a dog twice it's size to shame in a scrap. It was certainly a beautiful beast, but what an aggressive personality; to openly growl at a stranger while walking down the street, and at himself no less. The man scoffed. Just like it's owner, beautiful but forbidden and dangerous, Yumi smirked at the thought.

••••••

It was late when Grimmjow got home from Grind, the sun beginning to set as he and Pan entered his apartment. The day had been spent doing a little paper work and talking to the patrons that came through the door. He had been asked about his absence and his arm more times than he could count, and not wanting to give personal details, he had told almost every single person that it was just a car accident. In his opinion, they didn't need to know about the rest.

There had been a few that had seen it on the news and recognized his car, Hal being one of them. That had gotten a little awkward and rough. He had tried to talk to her about it a little, in the end, refraining from telling her the whole story, just enough for her to piece together that he and Ichi were in an accident and that Ichi was still in the hospital. The few other times it happened, Nnoitra or Shinji had quickly come to his rescue and got them to leave him alone. He didn't know what they said to those people, and he didn't care so long as it worked and they left him alone.

The bluenette flipped the light switch and illuminated the main room of his apartment. Discarding his sling on the counter, he glanced at the blue read out of the digital clock on his dvd player, fuck it, he decided. He wanted to go for a damn run and he would, even if it was getting dark out. He needed the physical work out, something to occupy and distract him, and hopefully it would ware him out so he would be able to sleep.

Grimmjow stomped down the hall way to his room. Shrugging out of his shirt and dropping his pants by his bed, he stepped to his dresser and pulled out a white, wife beater tank top and a pair of navy blue gym shorts. Donning the new attire, he stalked back out to the main room and grabbed his running shoes. He left the sling where it lay, wanting the little bit of extra movement he would be able to get out of his arm without it, but grabbed the knife from beside it, securing it in the waist band of his shorts. He took a few minutes to stretch out a little, then bent down to tie his shoes.

Pantera watched him from where she stood by the door, as if urging him to hurry so she could go for a run too. Her deep, sky blue eyes were bright and her tail flicked in anticipation. Grimm smirked down at her and snagged her leash "Alright, lets go then" He said to her, opening the door and shutting it behind him.

He had no particular destination in mind, he just started out at a light, easy jog, heading toward the center of the city. Pan followed beside him, her lean body seeming to effortlessly glide over the sidewalk without touching down. Grimmjow quickly lost himself in his running. It was like a type of meditation, he let his mind go blank, only concentrating on his breathing and ignoring the shitty world around him. His pace picked up, body acting of it's own accord and he hardly noticed.

They passed a park with a few benches, most of them empty at this hour. Sweat trickled down the side of Grimmjow's neck and down his chest, cooled by the crisp air. He turned down the path that ran around the park. The bluenette focused on his feet making contact with pavement as he pushed his pace just a tad faster, still letting his mind flow blessedly devoid of thought. His running partner's sharp ears swiveled around, paying attention to the world around them for her master, her eyes darting here and there when movement caught them. Grimmjow quickly lost track of time and distance, uncaring and unworried.

Florescent light cascaded around them, defeating the dark. Grimmjow, chest heaving lightly from his run, huffed a slightly irritated sigh and let his pace slow. His light jog became a walk and he made his way to a bench beside the entrance of the hospital. Letting his head tilt back, he sat and gazed up at the night sky. Pantera jumped up on the bench beside him, laying down and resting her head in his lap.

He should have known this is where he would end up. Other than Pan, who was at his side, everything that he had grown to care about lay in this building. His apartment no longer felt like home, he had been rendered unable to work, the only hobby he had other than babying the car he no longer had.

Grimmjow laid his right hand across Pantera's head, gently stroking her ears. She didn't move but he knew she was awake and alert and he was grateful for her silent support. His brow furrowed slightly and he let his eyes fall closed, head still tilted back. His body was weary, but his mind was awake and he sat there, letting his thoughts wander were they would for a long time.

Eventually, the sound of the automatic doors sliding open behind them roused him from his thoughts and drew his awareness back to the present. Pan lifted her head from his lap as footsteps approached behind them.

••••••

It was late and the skeleton crew had arrived hours ago. Dr. Kurosaki finally left his son's room to go home to his daughters, no doubt they were in bed by now. Yuzu would have made sure her and Karin had dinner and went to sleep on time for school in the morning. He was grateful he still had his beloved daughters, but working all day at the hospital his son was laying in took it's toll on him nonetheless.

He waved to the receptionist at the front desk and exited the building through the large, glass sliding doors, out into the cool night air. A figure with unmistakable, blue hair sat on the bench a few meters away. His head was tilted back, seemingly staring at the stars, unmoving. Letting a small frown crease his brow, Isshin slowly approached the man. A bell jingled quietly and sharp, blue, feline eyes peeked at him over the back of the bench. Still, the bluenette didn't move.

Isshin stopped behind the bench, reaching a hand out to the large animal beside Grimmjow. The cat sniffed at him, then shifted it's gaze back to it's owner, who had finally lowered his head so he was facing directly in front of him, no longer looking to the sky.

Mr. Kurosaki let his gaze wander around the surrounding area, looking for signs of Grimmjow's friends. He didn't find them, as somehow, he knew he wouldn't. "How'd you get here?" He asked, his voice quiet and soft, almost timid to break the silence.

After a few seconds, Isshin was beginning to wander if the man had heard him when a soft reply issued forth. "Ran" was the simple answer, no elaboration seemed forthcoming, though none was really needed.

Isshin took in the man's appearance and came around the to the front of the bench. Grimmjow waved his fingers in the air in front of him and his cat jumped from it's perch on the wooden bench and sat down between his legs on the ground, bending slightly to rest it's head on it's owners knee. Grimmjow rubbed at it's black ear lightly as Isshin took a seat on the bench. Studying Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye, Isshin asked him another simple question. "How long have you been out here?"

He was given answer in the form of a small, one shouldered shrug and figured Grimm probably really didn't know how long he had been sitting there. Isshin nodded once, gaze focused in front of him like Grimmjow's, staring into nothingness. They sat in silence for several minutes. "You going to go see him?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes, hand pausing in its petting of the cat's ears. "Can't take her in with me" he said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Does Ichigo like the cat?" Isshin asked, genuinely curious. He watched Grimmjow's lips tilt into a small smile at the corners, the bluenette nodded, obviously remembering a fond memory. "Well, I don't see why she shouldn't visit him with you then." Isshin said, standing and looking down at Grimmjow.

Blue eyes widened fractionally, but Grimmjow stood anyway, grabbing the over sized cat in his right arm. Isshin saw that his left wasn't held by the sling, but was still wrapped up. It relieved him a little to see that his son's lover was at least taking care of himself to some degree. He still looked fit and healthy, body still honed and muscular, though it looked like he could use some more sleep.

Grimmjow turned from him and headed for the door, reaching it and entering before Isshin. The doctor heard the receptionist gasp lightly before responding to the sight of the blue haired man entering with a large cat in his arms. "Sir... um, you can't bring that animal in here. And visiting hours are over, I'm going to have..." Isshin entered the building and held up his hand to stop the woman. He glanced over at the bluenette, who stood, still holding his cat, giving the woman a dead pan stare and making no move to leave.

"Its alright, he's with me" The doctor told the woman. She hesitated, looking back at the bluenette before sitting back down. Isshin walked to Grimmjow's side and they headed toward Ichigo's room.

The visit was fairly brief. They sat by Ichigo's bed and talked about random things, the bluenette holding the still hand of his lover the whole time. Grimmjow told Isshin how Ichi had first met Pan, he talked about how he had went back to the tattoo parlor and how he hated when everyone kept asking him about what happened. Isshin drug up a few more memories of his son when he was young, told the man beside him about his daughters and asked if he would like to meet them at some point. Of course Grimmjow agreed to meet them.

By the time they decided it was time to leave, Grimmjow was almost asleep where he sat and Isshin was glad for it. The man had seemed tired and he almost hated to stir him to leave. Isshin tapped his broad shoulder lightly, gaining the younger man's attention. "You look like you need some rest" he said quietly

Grimmjow slowly nodded and stood from his chair. He gently squeezed the cold, still hand that was held in his own before carefully laying it back on white sheets. He bent forward and kissed Ichigo's forehead, whispering a promise to visit again soon against the pale skin.

Isshin stood a few feet away and watched the man say goodbye to his son, before turning to join him at the door. Grimmjow patted his leg lightly and his cat bound over to walk at his side as they made their way down the hall.

They passed the receptionist desk, the lady pausing in her typing to stare after them, and exited the building into the cool, night air. The doctor heard the bluenette let out a quiet, tired sigh and turned to look in his direction. Grimmjow waved over his should at Isshin, turning to walk back in the direction he had come, Pan treading by his side.

"Hey, Grimm, you want a ride?" Isshin called after him. Grimmjow seemed to consider before glancing down at his cat. "She can sit in the back." He added and started toward the parking lot, knowing the bluenette would follow him.

They climbed in the vehicle, Pantera settling in Grimmjow's lap and Isshin pulled out of the lot, heading in the direction the blue haired man told him. The ride was ten minutes of comfortable silence and Isshin was beginning to think the bluenette in the passenger seat had fallen asleep again when they pulled into his apartment complex.

The blue haired man gave a quiet grunt as Isshin parked, before thanking him for the ride. His blue eyes were settled on a shadowed figure standing outside a neighboring apartment as he opened the passenger door, grabbing the end of Pan's leash as she jumped out.

Isshin followed Grimmjow's gaze to the petite man he was staring at. The man's chin length, black hair shimmered in the low light. A cigarette was held between his fingers, but he had yet to light it. Isshin looked back to Grimmjow. "A neighbor of yours? Is he trouble?" His voice was quiet, a hint of fatherly protectiveness showing through.

Grimmjow glanced over at Isshin, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he caught the edge in the older man's tone "Nah, must have just moved in, think we ran into him earlier, near Grind." He said, deep voice carrying softly to Isshin. Grimmjow thanked him for the ride again and walked away, closing the passenger door behind him.

As he approached his door, watching the stranger from the corner of his eye, he knew it to be the same man they had passed in the ally earlier that day. Pan bared her teeth and issued a low hiss at the man. Nnoitra's words came back to Grimmjow and he shook his head as he stepped into his apartment. He really was being paranoid, he needed to relax and get some sleep. He closed and locked the door behind him.

Grimmjow unattached the leash from Pantera's collar, looping it over a hook by the door and peeled the slightly damp tank top from his torso, dropping it to the floor. He walked over to the couch and collapsed into the soft cushions, quickly drifting into a deep sleep.

••••••

Yumichika leaned against the building to his quarry's apartment, contemplating what to do next. Taichou was expecting a full report by morning and he had seemingly lost where the man had went, though he knew Renji would be satisfied with information on the man's condition. How thoughtful of the bluenette to leave his shirt open earlier, making it even easier to assess his state of health and wounds. The simple fact that he was up and moving around without much trouble would make his red headed leader angry. But so far, the man had yet to try contacting the police or other authorities.

He had watched the man come home from the tattoo parlor, where he had only stayed for a few minutes before leaving again, giant cat in tow. The two had left on foot, into the sleeping city and hadn't been scene since. He sighed and started pushing from the wall, maybe he would let himself into the bluenette's place of residence and see if he could find anything worth reporting. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that animal getting in his way.

Head lights flashed through the parking lot, causing Yumi to look up. Cursing under his breath at the realization that it was his target, he looked about for a place to conceal himself. He had been assuming the man would return on foot and he would have plenty of time to make himself scarce before he could be spotted.

Seeing that he wouldn't have time to hide, Yumi allowed himself to lean back against the brick building, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and making himself look as natural as possible. He refused to light the stick, hating everything about the smelly things, but at least it would make him look like he had a reason for being outside in the middle of the night. He only even had a pack with him because Renji forgot to grab his so often it had become second nature for his closest underlings to bring a pack along.

He watched the blue haired man leave the vehicle, pausing to stare at him. Yumi hopped the man wouldn't recognize him in the poorly lit area as he pretended to be paying attention to nothing in particular. He watched the man approach his front door from his peripheral vision. The large cat bared it's teeth and hissed at him, causing him to send a quick glance in their direction, wandering if it was always so aggressive towards strangers. He watched his target hesitate before shaking his head slightly and unlocking his door, stepping inside.

Yumi let out a sigh of relief and watched the car that had dropped the man off back out of it's space and leave. The effeminate man was fairly sure that was not a vehicle owned by any of the bluenette's regular group of shady friends. He absently wandered who it was while he walked off into the dark, grabbing his phone to make his report as he went.

••••••

_It was dark out, but still day light, like the sky was over cast and grey. The air was chilled and the smell of fresh rain mixed with the scent of the city and something more raw. He whirled around, catching a sound echo off the empty buildings behind him. A figure emerged from the shadows, soft smile tilting full lips. A finely manicured brow raised slightly as the male looked at him, greyish eyes shining in the dark. He had seen this man before, he knew he had, but his mind wouldn't wrap around the memory and he couldn't figure it out. In front of him, the man's smile grew and his eyes darted to something behind him._

_A loud sound rang out, ripping the quiet from the dead city. He whirled back around, blue eyes wide, searching for what had been hit. The world spun and he was now looking up at the grey sky, turning his head, he caught the color red. Everywhere. Seething anger rose in his throat at the man that was sitting on the ground next to him, red hair cascading over broad, tattoo covered shoulders. The red head's fingers made patterns in the red stained dirt below them._

_He tried to get up, pushing himself from the ground, but it was no use. He couldn't move, he felt trapped, like a wild animal. Glaring around he saw the feminine looking man edge out of the shadows toward them, something large and metallic in his hands. A semi automatic weapon. His blood ran cold, eyes widening in realization._

_The whispered words of the effeminate male reached his ears. "beautiful"_

••••••

Grimmjow bolted upright in his bed, eyes wide and sweat running down the sides of his face and front of his heaving chest. His fingers fisted in blue sheets as he stared around his dark room. He took a shaky breath and allowed himself to collapse back into his pillows, plowing his right hand through his dampened, blue hair. A dream, just a dream.

A frown marred his brow, he couldn't even remember getting into bed, or undressing for that matter. And something about that dream tugged on his memory, something he should have been piecing together, but just like in the dream, it seemed to be eluding him. Grimmjow rolled over onto his side, taking a deep breath, and tried to calm his nerves enough to go back to sleep.

**Let me know what you think, guys ^^ reviews are always welcome**


	15. Fear and Hope

**AN: I'm actually pretty satisfied with this chapter. There was a little more I was planning to squeeze into it, but for the sake of it not sounding quite so awkward, you'll have to wait for the next chapter.  
>Enjoy~<br>**

**Chapter 15: Fear and Hope**

Renji paced back and forth through the hall way of the house he and Ikkaku were staying at. He was getting restless here, they needed to head back to Zabimaru territory. It had been weeks since they had left, his contacts told him things were beginning to calm down. The red head grabbed a cigarette from the pack in his back pocket and shoved it between his teeth, lighting it up. He gave a sigh as the toxins and nicotine entered his lungs.

Renji thought back to the report he had been given by Yumichika about a week ago. The blue haired faggot seemed fine, other than his arm being in a sling. He raged at the injustice of it. It pissed him off. His target had originally been Ichigo, and, in that aspect, he had accomplished his goal. Well, he smiled to himself, close enough to his goal. But, damnit, that bluenette was really rubbing him the wrong way. It was like the man was mocking him.

A cloud of hazy smoke lifted into the air of the house as Renji exhaled blueish smoke through his nostrils. He sucked in another lungful before making up his mind. He had been sitting here, inactive, long enough. It was time to get back to the business of running his group, time to get back on the front lines. "Ikkaku!" he shouted through the house, sure that his lieutenant couldn't be far. "We're leavin. Get your shit together and start loadin' the SUV"

••••••

Grimmjow walked down the road, Nnoitra had insisted on meeting him at the club. The blue haired man shook his head at the thought. Nnoi seemed to think he needed to try loosening up a bit, he said that it was the perfect occasion; Grimmjow had finally been given permission to get rid of that stupid wrap on his healing arm. What remained of his stitches had also been removed. Now, the only evidence of his accident was a few freshly healed scars and he was still stuck with the cast, but Dr. Kurosaki had done a few x-rays earlier in the morning, during his appointment, and found that the broken bones were mending well. Isshin had insisted on showing him the x-rays and where the pins were located and where all the breaks and fractures were, he grimaced.

He had to admit, though, it was great to finally have his arm free of the immobilizing wrap, and he would hopefully be getting his cast off in a couple more months. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms above his head. His left arm still felt a little weaker than normal, but the doctor had assured him that the feeling would quickly fade once he started using it on a regular basis. He planned on doing just that. He would be back at Grind Ink later that week, doing tattoos again, though he would probably be a little slower at it than usual, he was confident that he would be able to work around the cast, now that he was able to move the rest of his arm freely.

His phone rang in his pocket, quickly flipping it open, he read the incoming message. Rolling his eyes, he typed out a quick reply before shoving the phone back in his pocket.

He really needed to get his bike out of storage so he could quit walking everywhere.

••••••

"_Ill be there on time dumbass."_

Nnoitra smirked at his friend's reply. He wasn't at the bar yet either, but it was always fun to annoy the feisty bluenette.

He dropped the phone to the floor with his pants and climbed over top the enticing little blond on the bed. Bending over, he rested his hands on Shinji's tied wrists, bringing his hands above his head and began licking up the blond's pale neck. Shinji writhed under him, whimpering through the gag and slowly grinding their centers together, forcing a groan from the taller man at the contact.

Nnoi could hear the slim man below him give a muffled gasp when he let go of his arms and plunged his slicked fingers into Shinji's entrance. The blond arched his back, squeezing his eyes shut and moaned out a delicious sound, making Nnoi harder than he already was. He groaned as he prepared Shinji, need wearing at his patience. He leaned forward again, licking and nipping a trail from the smaller man's collar bone, down to his navel.

Shinji whimper at the treatment and thrust his hips down onto the fingers impaling him.

He heard Nnoitra's chuckle "Impatient, are we?" the taller man asked. His violet eye looking into Shinji's own, lust heavy ones. Shinji's face was flushed, his beautiful, golden locks fanned out on the pillow, framing his face. He shook his head up and down and rocked his hips against long fingers again for emphasis, panting heavily as his untouched cock saluted between their abdomens. If Nnoi didn't stop teasing him, he was going to loose his mind. All he could think about was the man's heavy member impaling him, making him scream through his gag. Shinji squeezed his eyes shut again, willing Nnoi to fuck him already.

Nnoitra seemed to get the hint. He let out a deep, rumbling moan against the blond's pale shoulder and pulled his fingers out of the blond's tight heat. Lining himself up, he bit down, sinking his teeth into Shinji's flesh as he rammed the head of his cock past the tight ring of muscle. Shinji screamed out as much as he could around the gag in his mouth, his bound hands desperately clawing at Nnoitra's arm. The lanky man slowly pushed further in, until he was fully seated, the blond writhing and panting underneath him. He waited a few moments, giving Shinji time to adjust, before he pulled back and thrust forward again. "Fuck...so damn tight..." Nnoitra panted out, thrusting again.

Shinji cried out in pleasure, rocking his hips and trying desperately to keep up with Nnoitra's brutal pace. The lanky man grunted above him, pounding into the smaller man. He lifted one of Shinji's legs over his shoulder and turned his hips, finally finding his mark. Shinji let out a choking gasp, head falling back into the pillows. He moaned unintelligently behind the gag, unable to form coherent thoughts as Nnoi's big hand fisted his aching member and began pumping in time with his thrusts.

••••••

Grimmjow entered the club, heading for the bar and looking around for a tall motherfucker who was apparently late. Leave it to Nnoi to give him shit about being on time, just to be late himself. Sitting on a bar stool, he ordered a beer from the bar tender. The man came back with the drink quickly and he sipped on it as the previously mentioned, lanky Nnoitra dropped into a stool beside him. Looking over at his friend, Grimm raised a brow at the large smile marring the man's features. Great, just what the hell was he up to now?

He watched Shinji run behind the bar, pulling on his club vest as he hurriedly clocked on, face a little flushed. Grimmjow nearly choked on his beer as it hit him.

His deep laughter reached the blond behind the bar and Shinji turned toward them, face going a little redder, but a pleased smirk stretched across his face. He turned from them for a few minutes and came back with a Blue and a Beam&coke, remembering the two men's favorite drinks. He winked at them and left to help another costumer, a man with chin length, straight black hair.

"So, we getta write shit on that, ne?" Nnoi asked from beside Grimmjow, pointing a long finger at the blue cast encasing his friend's left wrist.

"Hell no." Grimmjow mumbled as he stared at the man Shinji was helping, brow furrowed into a scowl. He snarled and turned away as the man looked up with a benign smile and gave him a short, friendly wave in greeting.

"Who the hell's that?" Nnoitra asked, lip curling into a small snarl, having watched the little interaction between his friend and girly looking man at the other end of the bar.

The bluenette shrugged, watching the man out of the corner of his eye. "Not sure. Think he's been following me though." As he said the words, blue eyes narrowing in agitation and suspicion, the memories of where he had seen the man came back. The guy was one of that red headed gang leaders men. And Grimmjow founding himself wanting blood again.

••••••

A couple of hours ticked by, Yumichika did nothing to hide himself from his target. The man had already seen him twice before, there was no point in hiding his identity anymore and so he had decided to have fun with this little game instead. He would let the bluenette know he was being watched, let it ware on him and keep him paranoid and on his toes constantly.

He had watched as irritation and suspicion had turned into recognition and then to rage in bright blue eyes that suddenly seemed so cold, but the man made no move toward him. Yumi had figured he wouldn't make a move. Not here anyway. This man was like cold steel. He had a hot, aggressive temper, but he was intelligent and knew how the game was played. Oh, but it would be so much fun to drag such a strong man to his knees.

_My my_, Yumi thought to himself as he continued to watch rage war in the man's eyes, _what a temper_. He knew he could provoke the man into action easily enough if he chose too. Yumi guessed that all he would have to do to get under the bluenette's tough skin is mention his comatose lover, but he didn't really want to get his ass kicked, and he had never been fantastic in hand to hand. Not to mention that the blue haired bastard was at least a half foot taller than himself, probably out weighing him by forty pounds or so. He certainly couldn't pull a gun out in a bar like this. The giant of a man bouncing would destroy him, weather he got the shot off or not.

He brightened a bit when the blue haired man pushed away from the bar, throwing a few bills down and saying his good byes to his raven haired friend and the blond working bar. Yumi didn't immediately follow him, there was no need for haste. After all, he knew where the man lived.

••••••

Grimmjow made his way out of the club, pushing through the crowds of dancing and drunken bodies. He paused once outside, a few feet away from the door. He almost wished the little, black haired man would have followed him so that he would be able to beat the guy to a pulp. He had promised not to go looking for these men, and he intended to keep that promise as long as he could.

After a few minutes, it was clear the guy wasn't stupid enough to just walk out behind him, and really, he didn't need to be. Grimmjow sighed, the guy already knew where the hell he lived. Wonderful.

But he couldn't be bothered to care. He started in the direction of his apartment complex, pulling his phone from his pocket.

It rang a few times before a quiet voice answered. "Hey, Ulqui. You busy?" There was a pause on the paler man's end. Grimmjow thought he could hear something metallic clicking slightly in the background.

Ulquiorra finally responded, his voice barely a whisper. "Sorry, Grimmjow. You have caught me at a... rather inopportune moment." He paused and Grimmjow could hear movement and what sounded like distant voices from the other end. "I'm on a job at the moment, would it be alright for me to call you back?"

Grimmjow grunted "Nah, it's not a big deal. You can text me when your done or something. Talk to ya later, Ulqui."

"Alright, I shall let you know when I'm home then." The pale man hung the phone up and the line went dead.

Grimmjow placed his phone back in his pocket. For some reason, it hardly surprised him that the pale man was able to answer his phone, and be so calm about it, while he was, most likely, getting ready to kill someone. He shivered a little, glad that Ulquiorra was a friend and not an enemy.

••••••

Eventually, Grimmjow had gotten a hold of Ulquiorra, he let the pale man know that he was being watched, but that he didn't want to do anything about it at the moment. He was more curious as to why they were watching him in the first place, and since he had yet to see the red head, or have the feminine looking man threaten him, he wasn't terribly concerned. Ulquiorra had voiced his concern for Grimmjow's want of inactivity on the matter, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to go against his friends wishes and eliminate the problem before it grew. Instead, he gave his word that he would be around if Grimmjow had an emergency situation that required fast action.

Grimmjow got his bike out of storage, Ulquiorra had cleaned it up for him. It wasn't the same as his GT-R, but he loved the bike as well. It just wasn't quite as convenient as a car. But the little, blue crotch rocket was souped up and zippy and worked for his needs for the time being.

The bluenette kept himself as busy as possible at Grind, only coming back to his apartment to sleep and take care of Pantera. Everyday was essentially the same routine; work at the parlor all day, drag himself home and collapse in bed around one or two in the morning. Occasionally he would catch sight of the man that had been tailing him, but the encounters seemed to be getting fewer and further in between, not that he was complaining. About once a week, he, Nnoi and the rest of the guys would get together for a drink or something. Before he knew it, it was time to pay rent again, which meant he had made it through another month.

••••••

Grimmjow parked his bike under the open air pavilion in his apartment complex parking lot and threw the cover over it, the forecast had predicted rain. It had yet to begin, but thick, grey clouds covered the night sky and he didn't want to take his chances.

Dragging himself into his apartment, he shut the door behind him, glancing down at the cast he would hopefully be getting rid of soon. He smirked at the sharpie drawings all over it. The only doodle on the cast that didn't piss him off was the little heart with Ichigo's name written in it that Ichi's blond buddy had drawn, saying that Ichi would have wanted to sign the damn thing. Grimmjow knew that Shinji was probably right.

He had insisted on not letting anyone write on it, but Nnoitra had invited him over one night and, of course, his lanky friend had just stocked his fridge. After a few hours of drinking, he had passed out on the couch, Nnoitra in his own bed. When he woke up the next morning, Shinji was there, desperately trying to hold in his laughter, marker in hand. Nnoitra had been doubled over, completely giving up on trying to be quiet and not wake the blue haired man.

Grimmjow shook his head, locking the door and turning around to make his way to the bathroom for a shower. Once in and half way through washing his body, the sound of the door to the steamy room being nudged open reached his ears and he paused in his scrubbing, brow scrunching up as he listened for the intruder. Pantera stuck her head through the shower curtain to look up at him. "Oh, fine" He laughed and pushed the stopper to the tub and let it fill up a few inches while he rinsed the shampoo from his hair.

Savannah cats were notorious for liking water, and Pan was no different. She eagerly jumped in and swatted at the swirling soap bubbles. Unplugging the stopper after a couple of minutes, he grabbed the cat up in his arm and held her with him under the warm spray of water. Grimmjow knew she would make a mess of his bathroom until he was able to dry her off, but she loved it so much he could hardly say no to her.

Finally done with his shower, he held her in his arms and shut the door to the bathroom tight, insuring she wouldn't be able to get away and mess up the rest of his apartment. When he set her down, she shook off, sending a spray of water all over the small room before he was able to wrap a fluffy towel around her and scrub her down. Finally satisfied that she wouldn't get the rest of the place soaking wet, he released her from the room to run up and down the hall while he finished drying himself.

The bluenette wrapped his towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. The sound of his phone alerting him to a missed call drew his attention toward the kitchen. He grabbed the phone, flipping it open as he walked back down the hall to his bedroom to change. The display read that he had four missed calls, all within the fifteen minutes it took him to shower and dry off. Scowling, he scrolled through the missed calls to find they were all from the same number while he dropped his towel and grabbed a pair of boxers.

Pulling the clothing up to settle over his hips, he jumped and nearly dropped his phone when it started ringing in his hand.

••••••

"_**...Paging Dr. Kurosaki... Paging Dr. Kurosaki to ICU-15 please..."**_

Isshin's head shot up, slight frown marring his features, when he heard his name being called over the intercom. ICU-15? That was his son's room. He stood from his seat beside a patient and excused himself as calmly as possible, the color leaving his face as worry stirred in his gut.

He ran toward his son's room, the elevator going much to slow for his tastes. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he checked the time. Two A.M. He was about to start dialing when the doors to the elevator opened with a small chime. Isshin dropped the phone back in his pocket and hurried down the hall. Turning the corner and approaching the door. One of the other doctors came out to intercept him, the man's face calm and professional. Isshin's stomach twisted into knots as his colleague grabbed his shoulder and lead him into the smaller room between the hall and the room his son lay in.

"Your a doctor, Isshin. You don't need me to tell you what's going on." The man said quietly, releasing Dr. Kurosaki's shoulder and opening the door to his son's room, holding it for Isshin to walk through.

Isshin stepped in, heart in his throat as he looked over Ichigo. The boy's brow was scrunched up in a scowl, his eyes dancing behind his eye lids like he was having a bad dream, and his jaw was clenched tight around the tubes to the ventilator feeding his lungs air. Isshin rushed over to his bed side, unable to breath as he looked at the monitors around his son. The activity shown on them had spiked. EKG was slightly elevated to that of someone who had just finished a work out. O2 levels were elevated, showing that his son was breathing heavier than he had since his accident. The monitor detecting brain wave activity was elevated as well, the small line creating zig zag patterns similar to the heart monitor and closer to what one would expect to see of an active and awake person.

Isshin fought tears as he grabbed his son's hand, noticing how the skin felt warmer than earlier that morning. He reminded himself to breath and stepped back. He was a doctor right now, he had to act like one. In front of him, Ichigo's chest heaved and he made a small, gaging sound around the plastic tubing that had been inserted down his throat. "Remove the ventilator." He told a nurse nearby, the woman had already scrubbed down and was donning rubber gloves and a face mask, unlike Isshin.

"Yes, doctor." She answered and positioned herself on the unconscious boy's other side. She began removing the tube, careful not to damage the trachea as she drew it from his body.

With the tube removed, the apparatus that had been helping Ichigo breath, the room went silent, everyone present holding there breaths for a tense moment. The only sound that reached above the background noise of machinery was the ticking of the clock that proved time wasn't standing still. Then it happened. Ichigo's chest rose and fell on its own.

A tear made it's way down Isshin's cheek as Ichigo began breathing on his own. It was slow and irregular at first, but the monitors and EKG still showed strong signs and after a few, tense minutes, his breathing began to even out.

Mr. Kurosaki grabbed his phone, pressing speed dial for Grimmjow's number. It rang a few times before voice mail picked up. Isshin hung up and tried again. He didn't care that it was past two in the morning, Grimm needed to be here. If he had to, he would send someone to the man's apartment. He dialed again, finally getting an answer.

"Yeah?" Grimmjow's slightly confused sounding voice came through the receiver. There was a pause for a moment. "Hello?"

Isshin mentally slapped himself, getting past his speechlessness. "Grimmjow!" he practically shouted through the phone. The other doctor in the room looked up at him, a small smile tilting his lips and reaching his eyes from behind his mask.

"Isshin? What happened, what's goin' on?" He could hear panic lacing the younger man's words and the sound of quick movement and clothing rustling in the background.

"He's breathing... on his own" Isshin couldn't contain his excitement and his doctorly, professional tone slipped while he was trying to explain to his son's lover what was going on. "Please, you need to get down here. Do you have a ride?" Isshin's eyes never left Ichigo's face. The boy's brow was still creased, his cheeks slightly flushed. It was the most alive he had looked in months.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a couple." Isshin heard the sound of a door slam and the roar of an engine before Grimmjow disconnected the call.

Isshin dropped his phone in the breast pocket of his lab coat and left to the adjoining room, where he scrubbed his hands and arms to his elbows and donned a face mask and rubber gloves. He reentered his son's ICU and walked up beside the bed to begin a physical check, shining his pen light and watching pupil reaction as well as manually checking his pulse, temperature and vitals.

••••••

Grimmjow threw a pair of pants on and started to run out the door of his room, skidding to a halt half way down the hall, he ran back and grabbed a random shirt, phone still glued to his ear. He knew it had to be about Ichigo as soon as Isshin's voice had reached his ears.

"He's breathing.. on his own." Grimmjow could hear Isshin struggling to keep his voice professional and calm. Ichigo was breathing without the respirator? That could only be a good sign, right? He ran down his hall, stuffing a corner of the shirt to hang out of the back pocket of his jeans as he went. He grabbed his riding jacket and helmet off the counter on his way by. Slamming the front door shut, he sprinted to his bike, shrugging into the black jacket as he went. It was cold against his bare torso but he hardly felt it.

"I'll be there in a couple!" He said into the phone, ripping the cover off his motorcycle and jumping on. He turned the key and revved the engine, shutting his phone and stuffing it in his pocket before putting the helmet over his still wet hair and lowering the face shield. He leaned over the bike and screeched out of his parking lot, zipping the jacket as he pulled onto the road and headed for the hospital, the first few drops of rain pattering against the road.

••••••

The drive to the hospital seemed like the longest trip Grimmjow had ever made, even though it was only a ten minute ride down the road. Once there, he pulled the bike onto the sidewalk, not bothering to search for a parking space. It was late, and there probably wasn't anyone there to care, but he really couldn't give a shit if he ended up with a parking ticket later. It would be worth it.

He shut the bike off, dropping the kick stand and pulling off his helmet. He yanked his jacket off and shrugged into the black, V-neck T-shirt he had grabbed, before putting the jacket back on as he walked through the sliding glass doors. The receptionist gave him an odd look, but didn't try to stop him, more than likely just glad he didn't have a large animal with him this time.

Grimmjow all but ran to the elevator, his heavy riding boots echoing quietly off the floor and walls of the silent hall way. Reaching the elevator, he hit the button for the third floor, helmet held loosely at his side in his left hand. The doors opened after a few moments, a soft chime calling out. Stepping inside, the bluenette hit the button again, not bothering to wait for the doors to close. Absently wondering if he could have made the trip up the stairs by foot quicker, he watched the doors slowly slide shut, impatience gripping him as his stomach seemed to be doing acrobatics in his gut.

He gave a quiet growl under his breath as the car finally came to a halt and doors chimed, signaling they were opening. By the time they were fully open, Grimmjow was already half way down the hall and rounding the corner.

He yanked the door to the first room open, eyes wide as he stared through the window. His vision fell on Ichigo, the doctors and nurses surrounding the smaller man didn't even register until Isshin walked through the door to greet him.

••••••

Isshin continued his exam of his son, he couldn't afford to treat the boy as such, as his son. Right now, he was a patient and Isshin a doctor. He could play the roll of father once they had done all they could to help Ichigo.

He jotted notes down on a chart, inspecting Ichigo's vitals and the condition of his wounds as he went. His colleague, who had been helping him assess the orange haired man's condition, bumped his arm with his elbow, keeping his sterilized and gloved hands from touching anything other than the patient. Dr. Kurosaki looked up from his writing to see the fellow doctor nod toward the small visitor's room.

Isshin turned to see a blue haired man standing in front of the window, looking in at his son. Grimmjow's brilliant, blue eyes were wide, his hair looked damp and didn't stand quite likes it's usual controlled chaos. It was clear the rest of the world was lost on him as he took in the sight of Ichigo.

Isshin crossed the room and entered the smaller one that Grimm stood in. The man jerked his head toward Isshin as if he hadn't heard him come in, his eyes still wide. Isshin smiled slightly, putting Grimmjow at ease some.

"He's stabilized and breathing on his own." Isshin's voice was quiet, a hopeful tone shining through. He watched the bluenette look back into the room.

"Is he..." Grimmjow started, his deep voice trailing off as if he were afraid to speak his hopes aloud.

Isshin shook his head, also turning to look at his son. "No...he hasn't woken up yet, but his vitals and readings are strong, and, it seems, getting stronger." Isshin paused, looking back to Grimmjow, who seemed at a lose as to what to say or think. "He's still there, somewhere. Ichigo's a strong young man" He saw Grimmjow nod before the other doctor came into the room to join them. They knew Ichigo was fighting his hardest.

"Isshin, the room's ready" he said quietly, ducking back into the ICU room and heading toward Ichigo's bed. He began securing the equipment and unlocked the brakes on the bed.

Turning toward the door, Isshin paused to explain to his son's lover. "We're moving him to a different room, more like the one you were in. You're welcome to follow us, Grimm" With that, he trotted to his son's side and helped with transporting the bed.

Grimmjow watched the small entourage of doctors and nurses wheel the bed containing his unconscious lover from the small room. He fell into line behind them, eyes never leaving Ichigo. He had never been so happy to see that scowl as he was now and even though Ichi had yet to wake up, it gave him renewed hope that made his heart beat heavy against his ribs.

**AN: Hope the time skip didn't bother anyone, it really would have been pretty boring to detail a month of nothingness  
>Anyway~ Let me know what you guys think ^^<br>**


	16. Cat and Mouse

**AN: sorry for the long wait! ^^; I hope it will be worth it. On to the chapter!  
>Now, if you'll excuse me, it's a quarter after 4am so I'm going to bed! Enjoy~<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Cat and Mouse<strong>

Nnoitra parked his small vehicle in the modest section set aside for employees of the local businesses around this area. The lot sat just across the street from Grind, behind one of the larger buildings facing his and Grimm's parlor. He slammed the door shut as he exited the car, not bothering to lock it up. If someone wanted to take the time to steal the pile of scrap on wheels, they were welcome to it. He only used the shitty little car for back and forth trips, and only then because it was better on gas then his beast of a truck that sat in the parking lot of his apartment complex.

Whistling a small tune that not even he knew the identity of, Nnoi twirled his keys on one of his long fingers and exited the side street that lead to the parking lot. He let his smirk grow as his thoughts landed on he and Shinji's activities last night. After tending the bar, the blond had been more than ready for round two. Or was it four? Whatever, he had lost count by the time they had gone to sleep. His smile widened.

Nnoitra made his way to the main street, looking both ways like a good boy, before crossing the road to approach the entrance of Grind. He had agreed to open up this morning, Grimmjow would meet him here in a couple of hours.

He froze, mid step and in the middle of the street, arm still held up, the keys now stilled from their spinning and resting against the back of his hand. His eye widened, anger like a roiling storm made it's self evident as his face heated up and his lip curled. A car horn sounded from by his side. Nnoitra flipped the driver off and took a few more steps, putting himself on the side walk out front of his parlor, eye still glued to the store front.

In bright, rainbow colors, giant words were sloppily spray painted upon the glass front, stretching clear from one side to the other. Trails like a crying girls mascara left streaks of bright color to make a sickly, sideways rainbow from the bottom of the words, to the sidewalk below, where the paint had ran before drying. The vulgar words were messy but all too legible; "COCK SUCKING FAGGOT"

••••••

His phone rang as he left the building, he pushed the ignore button, too fatigued to deal with whoever it was at the moment. If it was that important, he or she could leave him a voice mail.

Grimmjow had ended up spending the night in Ichi's new hospital room. After a few hours, the frown had left his brow and he looked to be in a deep, almost peaceful sleep. Ichigo hadn't woken up, but the doctors assured the bluenette that the comatose boy's progression was encouraging and that he would wake up when his mind and body were ready to.

Isshin had almost needed to force him out of the hospital, telling Grimmjow that he still needed to think about and take care of himself while Ichigo worked on waking up. The doctor had vowed to call him if anything changed and Grimmjow had promised he would be back later that night, after he finished his shift at Grind and fed Pantera.

He climbed onto his bike and donned his helmet. He was due to meet Nnoi at the parlor soon, but first, he would go to his place for a quick shower and hopefully scrub away the scent of disinfectant and sick. The engine roared to life and his phone went off in the pocket of his black riding jacket.

Grimmjow groaned his annoyance but pulled it from his pocket anyway. He pulled his helmet off when "ass hole" flashed on the screen. The blue haired man frowned, why the hell would Nnoitra be calling him? He answered the phone, killing the engine, his irritation seeping through into his tone.

"What's up, asshole? I'm not supposed to be there for another hour." He was going to be a little pissed if Nnoi was calling to ask him to open up shop.

"Red's back." Nnoitra's voice was tight and controlled, the way he always sounded when he was pissed off and couldn't beat his anger out on the cause.

"Who?" Grimmjow paused, furrowing his blue brows. Who was Red? It took a moment, but there really was only one person it could possibly be. "Oh. That fucker. What happened?"

"Shops ganna be closed while we do some cleanin. I already got a new window on order." The taller man paused and Grimmjow could hear the sounds of cars driving by in the background. A car horn sounded from the other end, followed by his friend's colorful language as he cursed the driver out with everything in his extensive library of foul words.

Leaning back against his bike, Grimmjow felt his own anger increase. "What the hell are you talking about? Did they brake in?"

"Don't look like it. Jus some redecoratin. Im'ma redecorate his face if I ever see 'im again."

The line went dead and Grimmjow growled, yanking his helmet back on and mounting the bike. He started the machine and headed off in the direction of Grind Ink.

••••••

It was late evening, the sun beginning to dip in the sky as the three men approached the front of the apartment complex. The setting sun caught red hair, causing the illusion of dancing flames as Renji tied his hair up into a pony tail. He and Ikkaku stood guard, looking for any potential problems or nosy neighbors while Yumichika worked his magic on the door lock. After a few short seconds, there was a soft click and the door swung inward.

A low, rumbling growl emitted from the darkened apartment. Blue, feline eyes flashed as they caught the light coming from the opened door. The three men watched as a darker shape in the shadows of the hall way silently stalked toward their position in the entry. The beast wasn't going to make this easy on them.

Ikkaku cursed next to him. Renji grabbed the bundle of net from his lieutenant and smiled in the dim lighting. "Here kitty" he called softly, chuckling as the dark shape stopped at the entrance to the hall way and the growling gave way to a deep hiss. Renji kicked the door closed behind them and began to walk forward, holding the netting out in front of him, keeping it between him and the dangerous cat.

His men flanked him, corralling the cat from getting around them as they backed it up toward the end of the hall and cornered it against the closed door of the bedroom.

••••••

Grimmjow trudged up the short set of stairs to his front door. The sun had already sunk beneath the horizon and street lamps bathed the parking lot in feeble, yellow light beneath the thick, grey clouds that blocked out the night sky.

The bluenette pulled his keys from his pocket, looking up to unlock the door. He paused as the door swayed slightly in the smog scented breeze. Growling, he slowly pushed the door open with a quiet creak.

He stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind his back. Letting his sharp eyes adjust for a few moments, he listened for any noises in the dark apartment. When he heard nothing, not even the bell on Pan's collar, he frowned and pushed away from the door.

Quiet, nearly soundless steps carried him through the apartment, one room at a time before he came back and flicked on the lights. He couldn't find anything that looked out of place and everything seemed untouched. If it weren't for the door being ajar, he wouldn't have even guessed that someone had broken in. The only thing missing was... Panic starting to rise, Grimmjow called out Pantera's name. She didn't come running and made no response.

Grimmjow made another quick search through his apartment, throwing open all the doors and checking all of Pan's usual hiding places. He even checked the cupboards and closets that she wouldn't have been able to get into. Still not finding any sign of her, Grimmjow pulled his phone from his pocket. If she had gotten out of the apartment during the break in, the first place she would go was probably Grind, where Nnoitra should still be.

"Yo, what ya need?" Came Nnoi's tired voice over the phone.

"Nnoi. You seen Pan? Can you check outside for her?" There was a pause, then he could hear a chair slide against the flooring as Nnoi stood up. Grimmjow walked through the kitchen, flipping the light on as he drove his free hand through is hair, his left still holding the phone to his ear.

"Lemme check..." Grimmjow heard the door to the parlor opening and then Nnoitra's voice called out for the cat. "Grimm, I ain't seein' her. She's not..." He was cut off by Grimmjow's cursing from the other end of the phone.

"I'm ganna kill that fuck." Grimmjow's voice was low and menacing, full of rage and hate. On the counter was a piece of paper with the same words from the store front on it, drawn in rainbow colored marker. There was a little smily face underneath the words and Grimmjow knew exactly what happened to his cat.

Moisture threatened to spill over and he snarled as he flipped the phone closed. His frustration and anger rose over the wall he had built to hold them at bay and he stormed to the door, a look of deadly calm on his face. That bastard took it too far. He had already taken his Ichi, he already had men watching his every move, and now he had stripped Grimmjow of the only other thing he truly loved; his cat.

••••••

Nnoitra sighed as his phone rang, interrupting the insurance paper work he was trying to fill out for the damage done to their front window. Grimmjow had left around a half hour ago, looking tired and drained. His friend had told him about Ichigo and his night at the hospital and Nnoitra had sent him home. He could finish up a little paperwork on his own. So when the bluenette's number flashed on his phone, a frown tugged at his lips and answered the call.

"Yo, what ya need?" He asked, holding the phone to his ear and wondering what Grimmjow could possibly want. Maybe he forgot something in the parlor.

"Nnoi, you seen Pan? Can you check outside for her?" The questions were almost shouted through the receiver and Nnoitra could hear worry starting to creep up in his friend's voice. Great, the last thing Grimm needed at the moment was for his beloved cat to be missing.

"Lemme go check." The lanky man pushed away from the desk, the chair scraping the concrete floor. He walked outside and peered around, looking for signs of the cat. She had always walked to the store on her own the few times she had gotten loose, probably looking for her blue haired owner. They were never worried about her getting hurt when she got out, she was big and mean enough to handle any of the local strays. Nnoi absently wondered why Grimmjow seemed so worried about her this time and called her name into the night air. When there was no response to his calls, Nnoitra stepped back inside. "Grimm, I aint seein her. She's not..."

He was cut off by Grimmjow's angered cursing. "I'm ganna kill that fuck." His voice was dangerously quiet and Nnoitra knew the man meant business.

Nnoitra had no idea what made Grimm think the red haired punk had anything to do with his cat disappearing, but he knew Grimmjow was going to get himself into trouble. "Grimm" he called into the phone, attempting to get the enraged man's attention. He could hear the bluenette's muffled snarl. "Grimmjow? Don't do.." the line went dead.

"...anything stupid. Shit."

••••••

"Hold still you moron. Do you want me to patch this up or not?" The effeminate man huffed out in irritation, flipping his dark hair out of his face.

Ikkaku grumbled something under his breath and squirmed a bit before finally sitting still like he was told. He sported four, rather nasty looking, bleeding gashes that ran the length of most of his arm, from where he had used the limb as a shield for his face.

Stupid taichou, why did Renji have to have that damn monster anyway? The bald lieutenant had trouble believing that the animal didn't try to kill the man who owned it. Then again, from what they had learned, the blue haired bitch had a bit of a wild side to him too. He and Renji had learned first hand that the man had one hell of a temper when they had realized he was the owner of that new and popular tattoo parlor, Grind.

The damn cat had lashed out in wild furry, not unlike the crazy guy who owned it, after they had cornered it. Diving at Ikkaku, it had torn him up pretty well before leaping past and speeding off into the dark apartment.

Getting pissed, Ikkaku had cursed up a storm, snagging the rope back from his taichou and tearing through the apartment after the beast. After several long minutes of panting breaths, aggressive cursing and just as aggressive, growling hisses, Renji and Yumi had rounded the kitchen table to see the animal struggling in the net. They found Ikkaku laying on the floor a healthy distance away, a triumphant smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes, his chest heaving and a few new holes in his shirt.

He was now sitting in Renji's bathroom, Yumichika kneeling beside him and fussing over the wounds the cat had inflicted. "How long do ya think it'll take for the guy to figure out we have his panther?"

Yumi smirked still focusing on the deep gashes in his arm. "I imagine he figures it out rather quickly." The man paused, moving to inspect the cuts marring Ikkaku's bared chest. "Taichou didn't exactly make his calling card subtle. Even an idiot could figure it out."

Ikkaku snorted. The sound was drowned out by a deep, rumbling that was more of a roar than a hiss, followed by Renji's loud, frustrated shouting. "Ya know, he's ganna end up killin' the cat."

Yumichika glanced up, a look of pity crossing his features at the loss of such a beautiful creature. "You're probably right."

••••••

A barely audible, breathy groan snapped Isshin from his half asleep state. His eyes instantly focused on his orange haired son, still lying in the bed. The boy's brow was furrowed into a frown again, his head titled to the side slightly. Isshin could see his breathing quicken fractionally and watched as his eyes fluttered behind the closed lids. He wondered what Ichigo was dreaming about, and hoped it wasn't the accident that had landed him here to begin with. Whatever it was, the father wished he could wake his son from the obviously pained dreams, but Ichigo had to fight his own internal battle for that privilege.

From the couch in the back of the room, one of his girls stirred and he looked up to see Karin looking at her big brother. She looked tired and her eyes were a little wider than normal, but still so full of strength, it made Isshin proud. Karin had wanted to know more, but for the sake of not upsetting Yuzu any further, he had fore gone explanations. Karin had understood and let it drop after a few minutes, but Isshin thought she still knew more than he had told her. She was a smart, intuitive girl.

He directed his attention to Yuzu. She was still sound asleep, her head resting on her twin's shoulder. Isshin smiled at them, happy that they were being so strong. He was grateful they had each other right now, what with him being so absorbed in his worry for his son.

He had called after Grimmjow had left, letting them know that Ichi-nii was starting to do a little better and had been moved to a new room. They had, of course, insisted that he come get them so they could visit, Karin threatening him while Yuzu begged. After Karin had said they would just get a cab if he didn't come for them, Isshin had left to get them and bring them back, explaining to them that he still wasn't awake and couldn't talk but that it was ok for them to see Ichigo now. He hadn't wanted them to see their beloved brother while he was still in ICU, knowing how traumatizing it would be for them.

••••••

Grimmjow stalked the dead, night darkened streets. The light breeze pushed scraps of paper and dirt around on the side walk and deserted streets. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his riding jacket, glad that he had stormed out the door before taking it off.

He had passed by a few thugs, the normal low life that took to the streets at night, but none had been the particular one he was looking for at the moment. None of the men he had passes so far had bothered him, no doubt recognizing him for who he was. He recognized more than one of his or Nnoi's works etched into the skin of most of these guys. Grimmjow knew they wouldn't give him trouble, and even if they tried, he wasn't worried. He could handle himself.

He snarled and curled his lip as he turned down a random street, still no sign of the red haired punk that needed an ass beating. Grimmjow knew he was in the right area, this section of town had been marked as Zabimaru territory. He wasn't stupid and knew how to put the pieces together. At this point, he would have been happy finding one the kid's underlings. Where the hell was his stalker when he actually wanted the creep to be around. He let his sharp, impossibly blue eyes rake the area, searching for any sign that the man may be following him. The obnoxious, little girly looking guy had long since stopped trying to hide from Grimmjow, but the bluenette had been seeing less of him lately. He had thought that had been a good thing, but now he was beginning to think otherwise.

Grimmjow rounded another corner, crossing a street and heading toward his parlor. Maybe they would be stupid enough to try defacing the place again. He pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the time before stuffing it back in it's place. He had been out here, fruitlessly searching for an hour now. He should have been back at the hospital, waiting for Ichigo to wake up. Instead, these fuckers were wasting his time. Guilt started to worm it's way into his mind as he thought about Ichigo. He had promised not to go out hunting for the punks that had caused all this. Even if the words had been said to Isshin, they were still a promise to Ichi. And, damnit, Grimmjow may not have been the smartest or nicest guy around, but he always kept his word.

Growling at his own logic, wishing he could ignore it and let his anger get the best of him the way he used to, he kicked a rock and listen to it smack into the side of a building. He glared at the large sheets of black plastic taped over the windows of his parlor before turning around and stalking back toward his apartment. Grimmjow felt terrible for leaving Pan, but he wasn't going to find her this way. A part of him just hoped that they didn't make her suffer, certain that they would kill her and probably torture the poor cat. Pain and sorrow twisted in his gut before another part of him broke off and hardened, screaming that he was going to kill them. Even if it wasn't tonight.

••••••

Grimmjow climbed out of the shower and dried off. He opened the door and was glad when the smell of coffee assaulted his senses. Nnoitra had been at his apartment, waiting for him to get home last night. The lanky man had been relieved when he heard that Grimmjow had been unable to find the men who had kid napped Pan. Sure, he was pissed that they had messed with the parlor and even more angry over them braking in to Grimmjow's place and taking Pantera, but he was glad his friend wasn't in jail.

The bluenette sulked off into the kitchen, following his nose and yawning as he finished drying his hair. "Since when do you get up earlier than I do?" he absently asked Nnoi, who was leaning against the counter, shirtless, a mug held between his big hands.

His tall friend took another sip of his black coffee before looking up at the bluenette. "Since your bitchy ass keeps havein' such bad luck." He pulled a mug from Grimmjow's cabinet and threw it at the man. The support he offered Grimmjow was rough and seemingly rude, but both knew it for what it was.

Grimmjow caught the flying cup that had been aimed for his head and poured it full of coffee, adding milk and sugar before taking a seat at the bar style island. He rested his elbows on the counter top and sipped at his coffee, glancing at the digital clock above his stove. He was due at the hospital soon, it was finally time for him to get this damn cast off his arm.

Quickly finishing off his coffee, Nnoitra straightened to his full, towering hight and stretched. "Im'ma take off. Gotta be at Grind when the window guys get there." He grumbled, a small sneer twisting his features.

Grimmjow waved to his lanky friend as the man opened the door. He stayed where he was at, lost in thought and sipping his coffee for a few more minutes before pulling on his jacket and leaving for the hospital.

••••••

"How's it feel?" Isshin asked from his wheely chair, where it sat in front of Grimmjow.

He watched the bluenette make a fist, flexing the muscles of his forearm and tentatively rotating his wrist about. He made a face but nodded all the same. "Pretty good. Little stiff, kinda feels weird."

"I imagine it does, it should start to feel better in a few days, when you start using it. Just make sure you don't over do it." He sat, still watching Grimmjow. "No heavy lifting, try not to punch a hole in any walls, or faces." Isshin added, attempting to get a reaction of the man.

Grimmjow offered him a grunt in acknowledgement. The man had been particularly quiet this morning and Dr. Kurosaki wondered if it was caused by whatever it was that kept him from visiting Ichi last night. He left the silence in the room unbroken for several minutes before voicing his curiosity. "So, what kept you from visiting him last night?"

The only indication that the bluenette heard him was a slight flinch.

Isshin decided to press just a little further, his fatherly intuition was screaming that something was wrong. Even someone that didn't know Grimmjow probably would have been able to see that something was off. "You've never missed a promised visit" he said quietly, knowing that would tug the man into speaking.

"I..." his voice trailed off. Closing his eyes, Grimmjow ran a hand through his blue hair. "they took Pan. After graffitiing the parlor, they broke into my place and took my cat." His voice was quiet and level, almost a growl at the end of his sentence.

Isshin blew a sighing breath out. "Geeze... I'm sorry, Grimmjow..." He really had no idea what to say. He knew the cat meant a lot to the man, but he also knew that the chances of getting Pantera back alive were slim. The people responsible hadn't spared a second thought for Grimmjow or Ichigo when they gunned the car down, why would they bother sparing an animal's life?

Grimmjow shook his head, brushing off his hurt as unimportant. He stood up and bid the doctor farewell. Isshin knew he would head to Ichi's room, but he let him have his space. He would probably need it.

••••••

Renji yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He stood from his spot on his couch, kicking Ikkaku in the leg as he walked by. The bald man glared up at him but didn't comment.

Their high was waring off and duty called. Namely their stomachs. The red head made his way to his small pantry, careful to avoid the gouged wood that made an almost perfect half circle, spreading out from the back wall of his kitchen/ laundry room. The dangerous animal eyed him as he walked by. The heavy chain around it's neck rattled as the large cat shifted, readying it's self to lunge should Renji step within it's reach.

The cat had torn chunks and cut gouges out of his wooden flooring, desperately trying to get away when he had first managed to loop the chain around it's throat. It had even tried to climb the wall. Sheets of wall paper hung in ribbons from where sharp claws had snagged before sliding back to the ground. The chain was anchored to the wall, keeping the cat securely in place, but it never missed the opportunity to attack when one of them slipped into it's reach. And, damn was the animal fast.

Renji shivered a bit as he opened a cupboard, glad that Yumi was good with a needle. He and Ikkaku both had a few new stitches. Huffing out a breath and lazily closing the door to the pantry, he skirted around the edge of the marked up area and out of the room.

"Nothin' to eat" he grumbled, tapping Ikkaku's bald head as he walked past his lieutenant.

The man glared up at him again but finally stood. "Fine. Let's go get somethin'." He said, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

Renji smiled and looked over at Yumichika, raising a tattooed brow. The effeminate man shrugged and staggered to his feet, legs numb from sitting cross legged on the ground for too long. He followed his boss and the lieutenant out the door, closing it behind him as Renji lit a cigarette.

The three walked down the street, toward a corner store that was fairly close to Renji's apartment. It was early in the evening, the sun still several hours from setting but the air was chilly and showing signs of the approaching fall. The leaves on the few trees had started to shift from green to reds and yellows and most people had retreated inside for the night.

Horsing around and generally acting like guys do, Ikkaku shoved Renji into the store. Laughing, the Zabimaru captan held the door for his followers before heading down the snack isle.

"Why the hell didn't we just order a damn pizza or somethin?" Ikkaku asked, directing his attention at Yumi and Renji.

The red head shrugged "Didn't think about it. Besides, Yumi needs the exercise, don't need him gettin fat on us." Renji broke out in a fit of giggles as the mentioned man scoffed and slapped his arm. They continued wandering through the small store, rounding a shelf, they headed back toward the front of the shop, still looking for something to munch on.

Yumichika smacked his taichou again, this time to gain the man's attention. When Renji turned an annoyed yet questioning glance his way, the smaller male pointed to the register.

Renji followed the pointing finger, his gaze instantly landing on shocking, blue hair. The man's broad back was to them, cashing out his few purchases that the clerk had placed in a plastic bag. It didn't seem that he noticed them as he walked to the door, eyes down cast. Renji let a smile cross his features, hunger forgotten.

They followed the blue haired man out of the connivance store, buying a few candy bars to space their exit out from the other man, as to not draw attention. Casually following a few meters behind the bluenette, Renji observed what he could about the man.

He wore a black jacket, the kind one would see someone on a motorcycle wearing. The red head could see that, not only was his arm no longer in a sling, but it seemed the cast was gone as well. The handles to man's bag of goods were looped over his right wrist, sliding toward his elbow as he absently rubbed at his left wrist, where the cast used to encase it. Renji concluded the cast had only been removed recently.

As Renji and his men continued to follow and watch the man, the bluenette's steps seemed to hesitate for just a moment and a flash of worry crossed Renji's mind. He quickly threw the feeling from his mind as the man continued down the street. He didn't really want to get caught following the faggot quite yet, but if he did happen to see them, Renji had no reason to fear. Surely the three of them could take him pretty easily.

The blue haired bitch turned down a slightly smaller side street. When Renji and his crew turned the corner, they found the man standing completely still, back still turned to them and his hands shoved in the pockets of his dark jeans. His plastic bag had been placed on the ground, a few feet away.

As they approached, knowing that he must have figured out they were there, he stiffened slightly before turning to them. The three men fanned out a little, covering more ground around the bluenette, who, although facing them now, still stood motionless with his hands in his pockets. His face was emotionless and unfazed, but his blue eyes seemingly glowed with seething and barely controlled fury. They were close enough to see that the man breathed in deep, steady breaths and Renji knew that this man was not afraid of them.

He glance to his right, where Ikkaku stood a few meters away. The look on his face was contagious and Renji soon found himself mirroring Ikkaku's half crazed smile, a glint of pure joy in his dark eyes.

The attack was swift. Yumichika darted out toward the man he had been following around for all those weeks. He took a jab at he man's muscled torso, but was easily dodged. The bluenette side stepped and turned slightly, hands still deep in his pockets, his perfect, white teeth now bared in a silent snarl.

Ikkaku attacked at the back that was presented to him when Yumi forced the man to spin to avoid his punch. Going for a kidney shot, Ikkaku cocked his arm back just in time for the man to spin back around. He stumbled backward, barely avoiding the round house style kick sent his way. Smile firmly back in place, the bald man lunged back in, sending a series of quick jabs at his opponents abdomen.

Renji stood back for a few minutes, watching the way the blue haired man moved. He was obviously no novice to street fighting. The man moved with a fluid and confidant grace. Renji also noticed how he seemed to favor his left arm a bit, keeping it tucked against his body unless he had to use it. It must still have been rather weak then. The red head continued to watch, waiting for the perfect moment to jump in.

A deep snarling from the bluenette signaled his chance. Yumichika had managed to jump the man from behind, holding his right arm behind his back, leaving the man with only his weakened left to defend himself. Renji leapt into the fray just as Ikkaku took a kick to the side of his ribcage. The hit wasn't enough to be damaging, just enough to throw the bald man off balance, but it also threw the bluenette off balance, as he still had one arm pinned behind his back.

Renji sent a big fist into the man's muscled gut. Hearing a grunt escape his victim, the red head sneered in the man's face before sending another fist into his face. The shot was blocked, but at a cost.

The bluenette gasped quietly and pulled his left arm back close to his body, shaking it a bit, a look of pain flashing quickly over his enraged features. Blue eyes flashed and he finally managed to get a hold of Yumichika and throw the smaller man off.

Ikkaku dove back in. Tackling the man to the ground and sending a flurry of punches to his chest and abdomen, only half of them blocked, before the bluenette was able to stagger to his feet with an animalistic growl.

Renji grinned and slowly circled the out numbered bluenette.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well? What do you guys think? <strong>


	17. Lock and Key

**AN: Had a whole list of things I wanted to say... can't remember vast majority of it *shrugs* Anyway~ This fic has ended up being a lot longer than I imagined it would be, and it's still got at least a few more chapters to go, but I enjoy writing it. So I would really like to thank all the people who have been reading since the beginning for sticking around and all the recent readers it's gained and I hope you guys stick around too  
>Anyway, on to the chapter! Enjoy~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Lock and Key<strong>

Stepping up to the counter, Grimmjow placed the few random items he'd picked up in front of the cashier. He needed to restock his kitchen, but didn't care enough to go to the grocery store. It was easier to walk to the convenience store just a few blocks south to grab what he needed for dinner.

As the clerk scanned the items, the bell above the door chimed, signaling another customer. The bluenette caught sight of a fiery red pony tail out of the corner of his eye. Everything in him screamed that he should tear the man apart, all his anger, his pain, his rage demanded revenge. But he forced it all down. He would keep his promise if he were at all capable of doing so. He grabbed the bag from the clerk, throwing down a few bills and not bothering to wait for change.

Hurrying toward the door, he hopped he would be able to get outside and down the street before the baboon and his cronies noticed him. He knew he was lying to himself. He knew that what he really wanted was for those men to give him the excuse he needed to beat the living hell out of them, give him a reason to brake his promise. Grimmjow pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a quick text to Nnoitra, who was waiting for him at his apartment. _"Trouble. might be a little late"_

He stuffed the phone back in his pocket just as he heard the bell on the door chime again. Without the need to turn and confirm his suspicions, he knew the three men had just exited the building, and he knew that they had seen him. A part of him internally groaned, knowing that they were following and would ultimately try to jump him. Another part of him flashed a crazed grin and dared them to try.

The phone vibrated in his pocket, no doubt Nnoitra's reply. He paused, trying to determine if he should pull it out and answer, but ignored it instead. The man wasn't as dumb as most thought, and he had known Grimmjow since their childhood, Nnoi would figure it out. Grimm turned a corner and quickened his steps to get away from the entrance before carefully setting his bag down near a building and backing away a few feet, giving himself room to move. Grimmjow shoved his hands in his pockets and schooled his features, listening to the sounds of the men approaching from behind him.

Uttering not a single word, the bluenette turned toward his would be attackers and watched the way they flared out around him. It seemed they were used to fighting together and would be complimenting each other's movements. That would make things a little rougher on him. As he watched, the smallest man, the one that had been following him, twitched ever so slightly, he let his anger begin to surface again, sick of holding it at bay. He wanted to release, it like a caged animal, at the men that had sent his life to hell.

The smaller, dark haired man darted forward, but Grimmjow knew it had to be a diversion of some sort. The guy was fast, but he didn't have much muscle to back up the strike. So when he spun out of the way and opened his back up to the bigger, bald guy, Grimmjow knew what would happen and was prepared. He lashed out with a spinning kick, finally pulling his hands from his pockets and baring his teeth. These guys did not realize who they were fucking with. But they would soon.

He fought off the bald one, watching the red head out of the corner of his eye. The leader had yet to make a move, he just stood there watching the fight. Grimmjow knew the red head was studying his movements and reaction, looking for weaknesses and strengths. Smart guy, even if a little under handed and cowardly.

Letting out a growl, Grimmjow spun about as the smaller man jumped him from behind, getting a hold on his good arm. He sent baldy flying with a kick, but he knew the hit had little power behind it, more of a push than a kick. He staggered for balance, severely hindered with his right arm wrenched behind his back.

The red head finally entered the battle. Grimmjow grunted around the fist that collided with his stomach. No novice to fighting, he shrugged it off and watched for the follow up strike that was sure to come. He pushed the man's second punch away with his free left. Hissing out a breath as he pulled the arm back to his center. Dr. Kurosaki had warned him not to punch any holes through walls... or faces. He was beginning to see why.

Growling again, he managed to break the hold the smaller man had on him and toss the guy away. He had survived three months in a cast already, if he had too, he could do it again. He grit his teeth, he wasn't going to get his ass kicked because his wrist couldn't hold up.

Baldy lunged back in, knocking him from his feet and raining down a series of blows in quick succession. Grimmjow blocked the more devastating ones and accepted the ones that would cost him little. Finally seeing his opening, the bluenette planted his dominant left fist into the man's face, knocking the guy back and sending him reeling. Grimmjow let out a deep, snarling growl and staggered to his feet. His rage and adrenaline surged and watched the red head stalk in, a sickly smile twisting his tattooed features.

From his left, the smallest man darted within his range, probably another diversion. He grabbed the front of the man's shirt and planted his fist in the middle of his pretty face. The smaller male staggered, hands to his face while blood bubbled between his fingers, before finally falling to the ground in a heap. One down.

Blue eyes flashed dangerously, full of malice and murderous intent before he pounced at the bald man. He would be sure to save Red for last. Baldy crossed his arms in front of him, blocking the devastating punch that Grimmjow had sent his way. The bluenette followed up with left hook, catching the man in the rib cage. He growled as his wrist jarred against unforgiving bone, but the man staggered and fought for air under the strength of the shot.

Red jumped into the fray again sending hit after hit that forced Grimmjow to back pedal and block with his left arm. Gritting his teeth, he threw regard for his wrist out the window and allowed his anger to fully consume him. Red was going to specifically target his healing and weak side, but he wasn't going to give the man the satisfaction.

Pivoting back on his left foot, he threw the red head's fist out wide and followed up with a kick from his right, keeping his weight and balance on his left. As the bald underling rushed back in, Grimmjow considered grabbing the knife that rested in the waist band of his jeans, but the sound of his fist smacking into flesh was more satisfying to the fury that coursed through his veins like cold ice and hot fire at the same time. He traded a few punches with the bald man, it seemed he was a tough bastard, but Grimmjow got the drop on him. He sent the man staggering, where he finally slid down the side of a brick building till he sat, slumped on the ground, breathing in heavy gasps and on the verge of passing out. Two down.

Red threw a few more hits his way, before landing a low blow to the bluenette's groin. Grimmjow grunted and felt his knees give out. He was already fatigued from fighting off three men at once, his adrenaline and rage were the only things keeping him in the fight but the shot to his goods pushed those away and had him gritting his teeth and gasping for air at the same time.

A dry chuckle reached his ears and fingers gripped his sweaty blue hair, tugging his head up fiercely to look the red head in the face. "Gotta hand it to ya, I'm impressed. You know how to fight." The red head yanked his head back down before sending a knee to his face. Grimmjow gasped, struggling to breath and clear the stars from his vision. A low growl issued from his throat. The red head continued, his words quiet, barely concealed amusement laced in the tone. "Better than your faggot fuck buddy. How is he, by the way? Still a vegetable?"

Blue eyes widened, his vision still swam but he didn't notice. Chest heaving to gain the oxygen his body was lacking, the deep rumble that had been fleeing his throat as a quiet growl grew into a deep, enraged yell as Grimmjow surged to his feet. The hand that had been holding his hair released it's grip and the red head staggered back, eyes wide as they took in the sight of the shaking bluenette. Fury seemed to radiate from the man in waves, his blue eyes held a promise that had the man stepping back.

Grimmjow's vision went black as he threw himself at the red head.

••••••

Ikkaku was roused from his groggy state at the sound of a deep, growling yell. He watched as his taichou staggered backward and the bluenette lunged at him, slamming him to the ground and pinning him with his body weight.

Ikkaku struggled to right himself, his body still sluggish to obey his commands. Glancing around, he saw that Yumi was still out cold, body twisted into an awkward looking pose on the ground. Renji fought the blue haired animal on top of him, shots slipping through his defenses at a more frequent rate.

The lieutenant stumbled toward his taichou, Renji needed his help. The blue haired man had snapped, his growling deepened and his fists flew almost too fast for Ikkaku to follow. A growing pool of red was spreading around Renji, blending with his hair.

Renji let out a wet, bubbling cry, weakly holding his hands up in defense as the sickening crack of a fist to his jaw echoed down the ally. Ikkaku finally managed to stumble over to the fight turned massacre, tugging at the deranged bluenette as voices shouted out from the street.

Finally hauling the man away from Renji, Ikkaku fell to his knees beside his captain, the bluenette staggered backward a few steps before also collapsing to the ground. Ikkaku could hear the man's panting breaths, each exhale was a deep, rumbling growl, more beast than man.

••••••

"Grimmjow! Oi, Grimm?"

Grimmjow regained his senses as he was being hauled to his feet, someone shouting his name in his ear. He turned his head, taking in his surroundings. The three men that had jumped him were being loaded into an ambulance, the red head strapped to a stretcher, c-collar and all, while the other two were being helped by paramedics. Furrowing his brow, Grimmjow turned his attention back to the voice calling his name.

"Jesus, Grimm!" Nnoitra. What the hell was going on? Why were all these people here? "Grimmjow? Can ya hear me?"

"What?" Grimmjow blinked a few times before focusing on his lanky friend. "Yeah, I'm fine." He pushed way from the man, nearly falling from the back of an ambulance in the process. He couldn't remember climbing into the vehicle.

Nnoitra caught hold of him and pushed him back into a sitting position on the gurney. "No ya ain't, sit yer ass down an let 'em look at ya."

Grimmjow frowned before realizing there were a couple others in the back of the vehicle with them. The other ambulance flipped it's sirens on and took off down the street. The bluenette groaned at the sound, letting his head fall into his hands. "what the hell happened?" He asked, voice harsh like he had been yelling all night. He frowned again.

"Don't know. Why don't ya tell us?" Nnoitra paused looking down at his friend. "Never mind. Don't say a damn thing until ya get a lawyer. Think ya might need one by the looks a those guys." he added, motioning in the direction the other ambulance went.

A hesitant voice spoke beside them. "Mr...?" the EMT looked over at Nnoitra.

"Nnoitra Jiruga." Nnoi told the woman before turning his attention back to Grimmjow.

"Mr. Jiruga, are you family...?" She asked, shining a light in Grimmjow's eyes where he sat on the gurney. Grimmjow grunted and swatted her hand away.

"Yeah, brothers. Why?" When the woman just stared at him, he added "different daddies." It wasn't really a lie, they did have different fathers, they just had different mothers too. But who was being technical right now?

"Alright. Are you going to accompany us to the ER? We need to get going." The woman pointed to the bench along the outside wall of the ambulance. The lanky man promptly sat down, showing that he wasn't going anywhere. The woman nodded and pushed Grimmjow into a lay position on the stretcher, but didn't strap him down. The doors were closed and the ambulance headed toward the hospital.

••••••

Ambulances were dispatched, the officer on duty reporting a street fight over the scanner. All four men involved were on their way to the ER. All of the men were reported to be pretty beat up, black and blue from head to toe. No weapons were found on scene. One was in critical condition, at least one had a concussion, all had multiple lacerations and bruising, one had a possible broken wrist, the list went on.

The pager went off through out the halls. "**Available doctors to the ER please... Available doctors...**"

"Damn gangs." Isshin grumbled, walking down the hall at a brusque pace, a fellow doctor joining him on his way to the ER.

His colleague chuckled a bit. "Heard from one of the cops that it was a three on one." The entered the ER, immediately going to the sinks and scrubbing down before pulling on gloves and face masks.

"Huh" Isshin grunted. "Feel bad for whoever the one was."

The other doctor laughed behind his mask, following Isshin toward the ER entry to await the ambulances. Fights between rival gangs were a common enough thing, neither man was really fazed by it. "From what I hear, you should feel for the leader of the gang. The officer was saying something about a big, blue man really holding his own." Isshin shot the man a look, but the other doctor shrugged and the ambulances pulled up, the conversation forgotten in an instant as duty called.

A gurney was wheeled over, a man with long, red hair strapped to it. He was out cold, a woman was shining a light under his eye lids while another held an oxygen mask to his face, yet another cutting his torn shirt away. Isshin's colleague followed behind them, headed for a separate ER room. The red head looked vaguely familiar but Isshin had little time to place how when a deep voice cursed at one of the EMTs, something about walking on his own. Isshin's eyes widened and he sighed. Twice in less than four months. At least he wouldn't get punched this time.

The bluenette stumbled through the doors, pushing away a nurse that was trying to get him to sit down in a wheel chair, his lanky friend at his side. The tall, raven haired man had a serious expression on his face and he refused to leave Grimmjow's side. The bluenette himself was bloodied and cut up, a dark mark already making itself known under his eyes, the tell tale sigh of a broken nose. He cradled his left arm in his right, keeping it tucked close to his body and his balance seemed a bit off, like he was slightly disoriented.

"Grimmjow." The bluenette looked up at the sound of his name, he blinked a few times before a tight smile crossed his features for an instant. Isshin crossed the room to the man, leading him and Nnoitra to one of the rooms reserved for ER patients. Grimmjow and his friend followed without any trouble, the bewildered EMT woman shaking her head and heading back to the ambulance. "What the hell happened?" Isshin asked, directing the question at Grimmjow's protective friend, knowing that the man would tell him what he could before Grimmjow would.

"Not sure, doc. Wasn't there fer the fight." Nnoitra shrugged, making Grimmjow sit back on the bed for the doctor to take a look at him. "Got a text sayin that he would be late gettin home. By the time I figured out what he meant and found his sorry ass, fight was over and he looked like shit."

Grimmjow grunted from his seat on the bed. Isshin heaved a sigh. "Damnit, Grimmjow." After several minutes of checking vitals, and the superficial wounds, Isshin took ex-rays of the bluenettes left arm and wrist. He left to check the films, when he returned he held a sturdy brace. "Well, you lucked out. No cast, you didn't rebreak anything, but you definitely strained the healing fractures. Keep the brace on for a while so those can heal without so much stress." The bluenette nodded, allowing Dr. Kurosaki to fit the brace over his wrist.

A knock sounded from the door before an armed officer entered the room, followed by his partner who was holding a pair of hand cuffs loosely at his side, hand near his own weapon. "We're going to need to speak to Mr. Jaegerjaquez. Would you two mind waiting in the hall." The question was more of an order.

Dr. Kurosaki looked down at Grimmjow before back to the officer, a quick look of anger crossing his normally placid features. He stepped forward and addressed the cops. "This is an ER room. You need to leave while I continue doing my job. You can question him when he's deemed healthy enough to be released.

The officer glanced down at the battered bluenette on the ER bed, a slight look of disgust on his face, before looking back up at the doctor. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Isshin holding his hand up to the man.

"You are technically not even allowed in the ER, I suggest you leave and continue this later..." He let the threat hang in the air but the cops bristled anyway. They backed off and left the room after sending a threatening glare to all the occupants of the room.

After a few quiet moments, making sure that the cops had left, Isshin and Nnoitra both turned back to the blue haired man on the bed. "Ok. What the fuck did ya do, dumbass?" Nnoitra asked.

Grimmjow stared up at them, eyes a little wider than normal. "Stay here. Don't talk to anyone. I'm going to figure out what's going on and call a friend of mine who happens to be a lawyer." Isshin left the room.

The bluenette reached his good arm behind his back, pulling the knife from his waist band and handing it to Nnoitra. "I have a feeling it will be better if this is yours for now." Grimmjow said in a quiet voice.

••••••

There wasn't much Isshin could do. He stalled as long as he could, but in the end, after he had addressed Grimmjow's wrist and bruising, he had to release the bluenette. He sent a bottle of medication to help with the pain and swelling in his wrist and his broken nose, as well as an antibiotic that should help heal the worst of the bruising around the fractures and his ribs, as well as fight infection.

The officers were waiting for him when he exited the building, Nnoitra still at his side. The handcuffs were forfeited, seeing as the man wore a heavy brace and followed them to the cruiser quietly. They read him his rights and Nnoitra promised to meet up with the lawyer and be at the station as quick as possible as they folded Grimmjow into the back of the police car.

••••••

Grimmjow stifled a yawn and stretched his long legs out under the metal table. The interrogator sitting across from him quirked a brow, "Well, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?" the man asked, pushing his glassed back up his straight nose.

It was late and he had already been sitting in this dinky little room, staring at the one way mirror where there were, undoubtably, several armed cops watching him, for hours. There was no clock in the room and so he didn't know what time it was. The guard at the door seemed a little edgy and all the officers seemed to treat him with more caution and malice than he thought was normal. Then again, how should he know? He'd never been to jail before.

His body ached and his head pounded. The hard, metal folding chair he was stuck in made his stiff muscles and bruised up ribs stand out even more. He was tired and worn out and just wanted to be at home right now. Hell, he could live with just being able to get up and stretch a bit, but the last time he had made to move, the officer in the corner had pulled his gun.

"Ya already got my statement, that's all you're getting until my lawyer gets here." He started to cross his arms over his chest, but the metal linking his wrists together prevented the motion and he settled his forearms back down on the cool metal table.

After he had been hauled to the local jail, he had been divested of his belongs; wallet, keys and whatnot. They took his riding jacket, belt, all the jewelry he had been wearing, including his diamond navel ring, even the laces from his shoes, then placed him in cuffs and forced him to sit in this little room. He was getting restless, and the handcuffs were uncomfortable to say the least. The cool metal fit snugly and a little too tight against his right wrist, while they had stripped the brace off his throbbing left to fit the other side on him, claiming the brace could be used as a weapon since it had metal supports. He could feel his pulse against the left side of the cuffs, his wrist sporting deep, purple and blue bruising. His knuckles, wrist and part of his forearm were swollen and he knew Isshin would be pissed if he found out about them taking the brace off.

The investigator heaved an annoyed sigh. Just as the prick was about to say something else, a thin man in a charcoal grey suit and a loosened, vivid green tie entered the room. His long, almost white hair was pulled back into a tail at the base of his neck, part of it falling loose across his forehead to swoop to the right. The man's expression was serious as he demanded the investigator leave.

The investigator huffed and began to retort, but was cut off by the man's stern look as he introduced himself to Grimmjow, not bothering to acknowledge the man past glaring at him. "My name is Jūshirō Ukitake, I will be representing you, Mr. Jaegerjaquez." The man extended his hand.

Grimmjow eyed him for a moment before gingerly lifting both his hands so that he could shake the man's offered hand with his right, careful not to let the metal bracketing his left to pull on the injury. He watched as Ukitake glanced at his discolored left wrist and winced.

Ukitake released his hand and sat down in the vacated investigator's chair, leaning back and making himself seem relaxed. He crossed his legs and spoke. "They can see us, but I assure you they have no way of hearing us, Mr. Jaegerjaquez. Everything we say is privileged and will be kept between you and I." Grimmjow nodded and the man continued. "Isshin called me and briefed me with what he knew. He also seemed concerned about that." The man pointed at his arm before standing up. He walked to the door, wrapping his knuckles against the mirror as he passed it. An officer, the one that had shown up at the ER to question Grimmjow earlier, opened the door, a mild look of annoyance on his face.

"Can I get you something, sir?" the officer asked.

"Yes. How about the brace and medication from the ER?" Ukitake held out his hand. When the officer made no move to get the mentioned items, Grimmjow's lawyer continued in an even tone. "It's being noted that you are going against a professional's orders and refusing to provide my client basic medical care for his obvious injuries."

The officer's eyes widened fractionally and he turned to retrieve Grimmjow's brace and pain meds. Ukitake called after him, his voice much less menacing and taking a friendly tone now. "A glass of water for the man would be lovely also." Ukitake made his way back to the table, letting the door close and sat down in front of the bluenette once again. Grimmjow decided he liked the man already.

The lawyer pulled papers out of his briefcase, setting them on the table between them and glancing over them as the door opened again. The officer entered without a word and set the items on the table, he started to leave again when Ukitake cleared his throat, gaining his attention. The officer looked over at him and the lawyer pointed to the handcuffs, raising a dark brow. The officer hesitated.

"Oh, please. I hardly think he's going anywhere. The door locks from this side, cuff him to the table if you're that worried but at least let him take care of that wrist." Ukitake huffed, beginning to get annoyed with the police officer's feigned ignorance. He knew they were attempting to play hardball, already condemning the man for his actions.

The man finally walked up to Grimmjow, pulling a separate set of keys from his pocket. He roughly yanked on the chain holding the cuffs together and pulled the bluenette's hands closer to him. Grimmjow winced at the rough treatment and let out a quiet, pained grunt. The officer continued to release both his hands, none too gently, before pocketing the cuffs and leaving. His hands now free, Grimmjow pulled his left arm to his center and rubbed lightly at his wrist with his right hand, grimacing.

With the officer out of the room again, the white haired man across from him continued. "I've read your statement already. Tell me what happened again, and if you've left anything out of your police report, please include it. I need to know everything to properly defend you."

"Defend me? For getting into a street fight?" Grimmjow was getting nervous. This was all starting to sound a lot more serious than it should. He carefully fitted the brace back on and swallowed a couple of his pain pills, piercing blue eyes never leaving Ukitake's.

His blood ran cold as his lawyer clarified in a quiet, serious tone. "No, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you're being charged with murder."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well...corrupt, ass hole cops and nice lawyers. What do you guys think?<strong>


	18. Trial and Error

**AN: Sorry this chapter took so long! But it's quite a bit longer than most of the others, so I hope that makes up for it ^^;**  
><strong>Enjoy~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: Trial and Error<strong>

"No, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you're being charged with murder." Ukitake said quietly, his voice level and serious.

The blue haired man froze, body going rigid at the news. His deep, blue eyes widened as he stared across the table, seemingly at a loss. Ukitake judged it to be an honest reaction. The man truly didn't seem to know that he had killed a man this night and he didn't seem pleased at the notion.

"What?...What the hell are you talking about?" The bluenette's voice was barely above a whisper as he attempted to wrap his mind around what the lawyer was telling him.

"The red head..." Ukitake glanced down at his papers, checking the name. "Renji Abarai, died of his injuries a couple of hours after being brought to the ER." He looked back up, studying the man he would be defending. "Several broken ribs, sternum, jaw... extensive internal bruising around his throat and chest, some internal bleeding... He was a mess..." The man didn't react for a few moments before his brow drew together into a frown, his eyes lowering to stare at the table.

Mr. Jaegerjaquez's past had been sketchy, Ukitake had had difficulty really pulling up much on the man at first. It had been easy enough to find out what he had been up to recently. His record was squeaky clean from present, all the way back until his very early teens. He was brought to the orphanage when he was young and at eighteen he had left the orphanage, going to college but dropping out in favor of starting his own tattoo business, which has been doing very well.

Before that, though, was another story. Ukitake had finally been able to get ahold of the records that had landed the young man in the orphanage to begin with, after much searching and pulling a few strings. He could see why it had been buried. The man had inadvertently murdered his mother in self defense, after the woman had nearly killed him with a kitchen knife. Ukitake hated that he would have to bring it up eventually, knowing that the prosecutor would try to use the incident against them. Depending on what judge they got, it may also make a self defense case tough.

"Mr. Jaegerjaquez." Ukitake said softly, drawing the man's attention to him once more. "Would you please tell me what happened? Start from the very beginning, when the trouble with Mr. Abarai started, if you please."

Grimmjow gave a slight nod, before launching into his somber story. He started with how he had found Ichigo in the parking lot of Hueco Mundo all those months ago. He told Ukitake about the car accident, waking up in the hospital. Told the man how the red head, Renji, had defaced his parlor, kid napped his cat and then jumped him. He told him about the fight, then coming back to his senses in the back of the ambulance.

The whole while, the lawyer sat quietly, jotting down a few things here and there, and asking a couple of questions about this or that.

"Alright..." Ukitake said quietly. The man in front of him had been threw hell and back in the past six months, but he could tell what sort of man he was defending. He found himself glad that he would be fighting for an honest man's freedom, a man that seemed to deserve the privilege. Isshin had been right about the bluenette. "Tell me again about what Mr. Abarai said to you during the fight."

Grimmjow sighed, scrubbing his right hand down his tired looking, bruised face. "He taunted me. Told me he was impressed that I knew how to fight. Said I did better than... than Ichigo..." The bluenette sighed again, frowning and not wanting to relive the experience again. The mocking words rang through his mind and plagued him like an icy wind that cut through anything he tried to fend it off with.

Ukitake nodded, understanding. Grimmjow would have to go into more detail while on trial, but he knew the man would never forget the words that had been said to him. "Ok, and what happened after that?"

The man frowned, gaze a little clouded while he thought. After a few minutes, he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"You remember your friend, Mr. Jiruga, saying your name in the back of the ambulance, yes?" When the man nodded his agreement, Ukitake continued. "You really don't remember what happened before that?"

Grimmjow just shook his head. The man really had no idea how he had gotten into the ambulance, or even how the fight had ended. It was like he had blacked out and someone else had lashed out at the red head. Ukitake took note of this, slowly building his case.

After a few more minutes of questions and explanations, Ukitake stood and began gathering his things. "I am going to go back to my office and get to work. You, unfortunately, will be held here, in a jail cell. I will do my best to insure that you will at least be looked after medically and I will be back tomorrow." With that, the lawyer lifted his brief case and made his way to the door, where he paused to look back at Grimmjow. The bluenette hadn't moved, he sat still staring at the table top. "Mr. Jaegerjaquez..." Ukitake paused when cloudy, blue eyes found his form. "I believe you."

The words were simple and quiet, but they were what Grimmjow needed to hear at that moment.

After a few minutes of silence, Ukitake already gone, a couple of armed guards entered the room and led the bluenette to a private cell, with a sink and cot. Grimmjow sat down on the bunk, leaning his head back against the cold brick wall, and let out a heavy sigh.

••••••

Sneering at the bright, morning sun and shrugging into a zip up hoodie, Nnoitra grabbed his truck keys from the counter and threw his front door open. He froze, the sneer on his features growing more pronounced as a lean man in an expensive, tailored suit slowly lowered his hand back to his side, from where it had been poised to knock, and looked up at him.

"Hello, would you happen to be Mr. Jiruga?" The man's voice was friendly and the small smile that tilted his lips reached his gentle eyes.

"Who the hell are ya and what'dya want?" The lanky man asked. He was in a hurry and had shit to do. This guy was in his way.

"I'll take that as a yes. My name is Jūshirō Ukitake, I'm representing Mr. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." The man extended his hand, still looking up at the towering Nnoitra.

The raven haired man shook the presented hand quickly, then stepped back to let the man enter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yer Grimm's lawyer? Ya any good?"

Ukitake smiled, understanding the man's trepidation, after all, his friend was going to be on trial for murder. "I am his lawyer, and I'm quite a prestigious one, yes." He said quietly, stepping into the apartment and following Nnoitra to the kitchen. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Firstly; would you be willing to testify in your friend's favor?"

"What the hell kinda questions that? Course I will."

"Very good." Ukitake settled in the kitchen chair across from the startling tall friend of his client. For the next hour or so, the two went over questions. Nnoi detailed the lawyer on their friendship, what kind of man Grimmjow was and what he knew about the issue he had had with Mr. Abarai and his gang. Ukitake quickly found out that Nnoitra would probably be a good witness to call to the stand. The man was around Mr. Jaegerjaquez constantly, and had no quarrels about saying what he knew. He had also confirmed what Grimmjow had said, about not being able to remember the ending of his fight. Nnoitra had told him his friend had been very confused and unresponsive for several minutes after the ambulance had gotten there. Mr. Jiruga's testimony could be a major asset to this case.

After all was said and done, Ukitake excused himself, thanking Nnoitra for his time. He paused at the man's front door. "Oh, and if you were headed to see Mr. Jaegerjaquez, I would recommend waiting for a few hours."

Nnoitra shot him a questioning and slightly threatening look, but Ukitake smiled his soft, pleasant smile and continued "I have a psychiatrist scheduled to meet with him, she will be evaluating his mental state and, hopefully, confirming his black out."

Nnoitra curled his lip, but nodded all the same and closed his door. Huffing out an annoyed breath, he pulled his hoodie back off and plopped down on his couch. He grabbed his phone, typing up a quick message and sent it to Starrk and Ulquiorra. _"Might b a guy w/ pretty white hair lookin 4 u soon. Hes a lawyer. Grimm got himself n deep shit."_

••••••

A single, blue brow arched in skepticism. "You're shittin' me, right?" Grimmjow asked, looking past the small woman, with long, braided hair seated in front of him to his attorney, who leaned against the wall of the interrogation room.

Grimmjow sat, unmoving, in the same metal, folding chair he had been stuck in the night before. After a sleepless night, sitting in a jail cell, they just had to shove him back in this little room with it's big, slightly creepy mirror. He was really getting sick of this room, he didn't like feeling trapped here.

From his place by the door, Ukitake grabbed another chair, pulling it to the edge of the metal table and slowly lowered his thin frame down. Taking a deep breath, he pinned the bluenette with his calm, level gaze. "A hearing date has been set, Mr. Jaegerjaquez. We need to cover our bases before then and have as much prepared as possible." Ukitake glanced to the woman sitting across from the blue haired man, she sat with a small, understanding smile as she waited to begin her analysis. "Her input could prove a great asset in your case."

Grimmjow eyed the shrink across from him before leaning back and gingerly crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine. But I'm not crazy and don't try to tell me I am." He huffed out under his breath, unwavering, determined gaze never leaving her tiny frame.

The woman gave a slight nod of her head. "I do not think your crazy. Quite the opposite. If you were, then your mind would have no need to block out such deeds." Her voice was quiet and kind. The bluenette nodded to her and she continued, asking him a few simple and seemingly pointless questions. With the questions, she slowly made her way, in a round about manner, to how he had ended up sitting in this cell where he was now. The questions she asked were worded to force more emotional answers, rather than just detailing her of the events. They forced him to think while she studied his reactions.

At first, the bluenette had been reluctant to answer, to let her see into him this way. Soon, however, the simple questions seemed to take on a heavier feel and he found himself truly reflecting on the events that had happened. It was strange how this woman's questions, while being the same basic ones everyone else had been asking, effected him so much more strongly. Grimmjow's answers gave her a view into his subconscience, into his mind, more than he realized and by time she had finished, he found him self emotionally, as well as physically, exhausted.

••••••

Delicate, pale fingers worked the buttons of his long coat, securing the warm material around his body. The vivid, green lines running down his pale face had been covered with a thick concealer, meant for hiding tattoos, his eyes hidden behind dark shades in the mid day sun. Ulquiorra leaned back in his seat on the park bench, holding his phone to his ear. He sat like that for a few moments, making it seem he was already busy in a conversation as the man he watched entered a small diner across the street from him. He watched through the large windows of the small, mom and pop restaurant, as the man selected a seat by said window. Ulquiorra knew he would sit there. It was this man's custom to eat at this place once a week, on the same day, at the same time and in the same seat. Ulquiorra always made it a habit to watch the people who called him for a job before he accepted, therefore, he knew how and where to find the man he was looking for and he knew how to reach him.

Finally hitting the connect button on his phone, he listened to it ring a couple of times. The man that had contracted him a few months ago pulled a ringing cell phone from his pocket while he smiled up at the waitress and ordered a drink before answering.

"Hello?" The man's voice was cheery enough.

"Yes, Mr. Yamada. How are you?" Ulquiorra asked in a monotone, not really interested in what the man said. The man wouldn't recognize his voice, appearance or even his name, should he give it. The connections and details were always handled by the leader of Espada and the client only received a number as identification of their assassin. From there, it was up to the contracted killer to decide if he or she met with the client. Ulquiorra never did so.

"Uh... I'm lovely, yourself?" The man asked, a bit of confusion slipping into his polite voice. Ulquiorra watched him accept his drink, an iced tea, from the waitress. Yamada covered the receiver with his hand and addressed the waitress. She gave a slight, polite bow before smiling and turning to leave. Ulquiorra guessed that he told her he wasn't ready to order quite yet. The man addressed Ulquiorra again. "If I may ask, who is this?"

"Espada." Ulquiorra gave no more. That one word was enough to determine if this was indeed the same man that he had been contracted by. Ulquiorra casually sat on the bench and watched the man's reactions. His dark eyes widened fractionally and he took a quick glance around him, before sipping on his tea and leaning back in the seat again.

"The...uh, business with that organization has already been settled." The man said, stumbling over his words slightly, but recovering well, as one would expect from a man who was able to higher an Espada. Of course, it was an out right lie. The business was never settled, as Ulquiorra was taken out of commission and the deal terminated. "I am very sorry to hear about your man, the one that had been under my contract."

Ulquiorra snorted lightly. "No need for such apologies. I am Cuatro and very much alive." There was silence from the other end of the phone. He wasn't sure why the man was so nervous over his identity. He probably had the ridiculous notion that Ulqui was out for petty revenge over his wounds. He supposed dealing with a group of trained killers could make one a bit jumpy. "How is the tea, by the way?" The pale assassin couldn't help himself. He had to play a little.

The man predictably froze, eyes widening, before he chanced another glance around his surroundings. Not that he would ever be able to find an Espada that didn't want to be found. Ulquiorra forced a smile on his face and mouthed the lyrics to his favorite song as he watched Yamada from behind his dark sunglasses. Mr. Yamada looked right at him but dismissed him as just a civilian chatting merrily on his phone. Hiding in plain sight had always been the best way to go.

"Don't worry, Mr. Yamada. I hold no interest in your life." The man sat back in his seat, picking up his glass with a hand that trembled ever so slightly.

"Then what do you want?" He asked quietly, pleasantries forgotten.

"No need to be rude, trash." Ulquiorra's stoic voice was dark for a moment, but he continued in his normal, stoic way. He needed to know just how much he could reveal about his most recent job. The assassin was unworried about his own record, he held immunity in most of his dealings, seeing that most were contracted by the government it's self. However, this most recent one, coincidentally the one he may need to bring up in front of said government, had been contracted by a private party. "Just how deeply are your secrets buried? How far can one dig until they will run across your activities, Mr. Yamada?"

••••••

"Visitor, Jaegerjaquez." The guard's voice called down the corridor. Grimmjow let out a low, tired sigh, not moving from where he sat on his cot. He hadn't even had his trial yet and the police and guards in the prison were treating him like an inmate already, the real inmates treating him like family.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall behind him, listening to the guard's foot steps as the man approached his cell. Grimmjow hated walking the row of cells almost as much as he hated sitting in his own cage like space. The inmates, ones that had actually been convicted of something or another, made it their job to annoy and ruffle the bluenette. They couldn't let him walk down the hall in peace, constant comments about his hair and cat calls were thrown his way and the guards that happened to be escorting him rarely said a word about it.

The guard unlocked his cell and slid the bars of his door open, waiting with a set of cuffs as Grimmjow slowly stood to his full height and made his way over. The cops had modified a set of hand cuffs so that they could fit the left one over his brace and he wouldn't have to take it off when they let him out.

Hand cuffs securely in place, Grimmjow was lead down the corridor, ignoring the expected comments and jeers. When the guard lead him past the room he was normally brought to when Ukitake visited, the bluenette furrowed his brows and asked the man where they were going. Of course, he was ignored. It was like the guards refused to talk to him.

A door was opened up, leading into a nicer, slightly more spacious room than the interrogation room he was used to. Raising a brow, Grimmjow glanced around and took a seat in his appointed chair, facing the door they had come into. The guard secured the chain to his cuffs to the metal table, via another chain that was a few feet long and let him stand up if he chose. He leaned back in the padded chair, stretching his long legs out under the table and waited for his visitor, the guard taking up a position by the door.

A different door, located behind him, opened up. Grimmjow ignored it until a familiar voice rang through the room. "Tch...that pretty orange jump suit really looks like shit next ta yer hair."

Grimmjow couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. His brows shot up into his hair line and he craned his neck to look up at the man behind him. "Nnoi. I don't think I have ever been so damn happy to see your ugly face."

Nnoitra made his way around to the other side of the table and dropped into the chair, taking in the sight that was his friend. The man looked tired. Shadowed circles rounded his eyes, making the bruising from his fight look even worse. Dark scruff lined his jaw from where he needed to shave and hadn't been allowed to yet. "Tch." it seemed to be a favorite sound of his at the moment. "We need ta get ya outta here."

Grimmjow grunted his agreement and slouched back in his chair, cuffed hands resting on the edge of the table.

"Yer lawyer came ta talk ta me. I called Ulqui, says he'll do what he can ta show in court, but ya know..." Grimmjow nodded his understanding and Nnoitra continued talking. It didn't seem his friend had much to say, not that he blamed the man. "Gave Ukitake 'is number. He seems like a good lawyer, knows what he's doin."

They talked about random things for a few minutes, mostly things of little importance. They were startled from their conversation by the sound of the guard's radio. _"Officer Q to base."_

The guard grabbed the radio attached to his belt, lifting it closer to his face, still keeping an eye on the two men in the center of the room. "Base is a go."

"_Uhh... well, we're at the deceased's apartment... bagged and tagged evidence, quite a bit of narcotics and shit..."_

"Right. Why are you radioing this?" The guard's voice was a bored drawl.

"_Well... there's a cat..."_ From the table, Grimmjow's eyes widened and he sat forward in his chair, now listening intently to the officer's conversation. _"It's still alive and chained to a wall in a pantry kind of room..." _Grimmjow shot to his feet, the chair sliding backward with his momentum and the chains rattling. Nnoitra jumped in surprise at his friend's sudden movement.

"What's your point?" The guard asked, crossing his arm's over his chest and shooting Grimmjow a suspicious and warning glare.

"_Well, we can't get anywhere near it. Things real aggressive and scared. But we need in that room."_

"So, just shoot it and continue investigating."

"No!" Grimmjow yanked on his cuffs, trying to make his way to the guard and forgetting that he was anchored to the table. The cop unholstered his gun, leveling it toward the prisoner, but Grimmjow didn't flinch or sit back down. He looked to Nnoitra, then back to the cop, eyes wide. "Pantera... You can't kill her!"

Nnoitra stood up and reached across the table, laying a hand on his worked up friend. Grimmjow grabbed at his arm like he was life line, sending him a pleading glance, the chains and hand cuffs keeping him in place. The look in his eyes said it all. Grimmjow needed his cat, it would destroy him if the police were allowed to kill her after she had survived whatever the red head had done. She was something he could cling to, something tangible that gave him a reason to stay strong while stuck in this hell hole and fighting for his freedom. Nnoi turned back to face the guard, determined to save the cat.

••••••

Days passed at a much slower rate than Grimmjow would have liked. Ukitake would drop by at least once a day to detail him on the progress of his case, ask a few questions and make sure the police were still treating him like a human.

Nnoitra, with Ukitake's help, had been able to get into the apartment and bring Pantera home with him, but he warned Grimmjow she didn't look too good. Apparently, she was thin and sickly and beat up pretty bad. Nnoi told him she had been hissing and growling at the officers when he arrived, even though she was too weak to stand up on her own. She had instantly started purring when Nnoitra laid his hand on her head and unchained her. It made Grimmjow proud when he was told about the fight his cat must of put up, judging by the how torn up the floors and walls were.

••••••

Finally, the day of his trial had arrived. Grimmjow was lead to a private room where he was allowed to shave and change into a suit Ukitake had brought him from his apartment. It was all black with a vibrant, teal tie and Grimmjow would have admitted he looked damn good if it had been under different circumstances. He grabbed a bottle of gel out of the box of toiletries he had been handed, styling his hair up in it's usual, controlled chaos before stepping away from the mirror, throwing his suit jacket over his shoulder and exiting the room. The officers forewent the handcuffs and lead him to a police cruiser to be escorted to the court building. The ride was short, the court house located just a few blocks down the road.

Approaching the front steps, armed guards held the media at bay while two more flanked Grimmjow on either side. He met Ukitake at the doors, his blue eyes dulled and down cast while he ignored the shouts of the people that crowded around the guards. His case had hit the media almost as soon as he had been hauled to jail, some people shouted that he was innocent, others that he was a murderer. A couple of faces he recognized from his parlor stared at him while he assented the stairs.

Entering the building, Grimmjow and his attorney were lead down a winding, white hall way. Large, elaborately carved, oaken, double doors were pushed open for them, leading into the court room, where people stood or sat in rows, waiting for the trial to commence. The bluenette and his lawyer made their way down the isle. Grimmjow's eyes were met by his closest friends and Isshin, who had come to support him. The two took their seats on the defendant side and sat patiently awaiting the judge. Ukitake leaned over to give Grimmjow one, final run through of how things would proceed.

The jury finally filtered into the jury box. Each of the members stood before their appointed seats and glanced around the court room, gaze ultimately landing on the defendant, the man they had been tasked with either granting freedom for, or sentencing to prison.

A uniformed man entered the room through the door located in front of the room, opposite the ones Grimmjow had entered. "All rise." The man's steady voice carried through out the room, silencing all voices as everyone stood and the judge made his appearance. Oaths were sworn, first by the judge, then by the other members of the court. The judge took his seat and the others followed.

"How does the defendant plead?" The judge, an aged gentleman with a long, grey beard and dark eyes, asked. Grimmjow could feel the man's appraising gaze on him as he and Ukitake stood.

Ukitake adjusted his vibrate, green tie as he rose to his feet. "Not guilty, your honor, by reason of temporary insanity." There was a hushed murmur through out the viewers that had Grimmjow holding back a low growl. Temporary insanity cases were among the hardest to prove, there for, difficult to win, but it had been his only choice. They would also be arguing self defense, but using that as a way to make the jury connect and sympathize with the bluenette.

Opening statements were delivered. The prosecutor attempting to alienate the defendant, asking the jury if they would want anyone who could be "temporarily insane" wandering around on the streets. His speech was based on the jury, focusing on how they and their families could be in danger if murderers were allowed to roam free.

When the opposing council was done speaking and had taken his seat, Ukitake stood, slowly making his way to center stage and facing the jury. He made eye contact with each member, letting a heavy, sombre silence settle before braking it with his quiet voice.

"We are here, because a man found himself in a dire situation...because Mr. Jaegerjaquez' world was torn apart. You will hear the story of an honest and decent man who found himself in a very real plight. One that could have happened to anyone, could have happened to me...to you..." Ukitake paused, locking eyes with a few jurors. "Could happen to your sons or daughters, your loved ones...The evidence will show that Mr. Jaegerjaquez had no choice, he knew not what he was doing...all he knew was that his life had been turned upside down, cast to the pits of hell, and his body reacted..." Ukitake's speech was delivered in a quiet, serious tone. By the end, he had made Grimmjow into the victim and created a heavy mood, a world where the members of the jury could feel as Grimmjow felt, as if they were in his shoes.

After retaking his seat, Ukitake gave the bereft Grimmjow a gentle squeeze on his arm and the first witness was called.

Nnoitra took his seat in the witness stand, taking his oath before settling his lanky frame into the seat. His long, black hair was tied back into a neat, half pony tail, the front on his left side hung down to partially hide the black eye patch he wore. His good eye flicked over to Grimmjow before settling on Ukitake again.

"How long have you known the defendant, Mr. Jiruga?" Ukitake started his series of questions.

"Since we were kids, almost twenty years." Nnoitra proceeded to answer questions about the man he saw as a brother, attesting to Grimmjow's character.

After a few minutes, Ukitake handed him over to the prosecutor, taking his seat once more. "No further questions, your honor."

The opposing council stood, clearing his throat and walking up to the bench. "Mr. Jiruga, what happened to your eye?"

Nnoitra's good eye narrowed as he sent a suspicious and slightly annoyed look at the man. "Objection, your honor" Ukitake's voice rang throughout the quiet court room. "Relevance?"

"Sustained." The judge nodded, addressing the prosecutor. "Keep to the topic, council."

"Apologies, your honor, I was only curious. Mr. Jiruga, your statement said that you were first on the scene?" Nnoitra nodded his agreement. "You beat the police and ambulances? How did you know where to find your friend?"

"He had walked up town fer some food, I was waitin fer 'im at his place. Sent me a text sayin that he ran into a lil trouble."

The prosecutor nodded slightly, continuing his questioning. "So Mr. Jaggerjacks anticipated that these boys could be trouble?"

Nnoitra gave the man a slight sneer and growled his answer. "Tch...It's Jaegerjaquez. And how would anyone anticipate gettin the shit beat outta 'em by three grown men? Ya'd think they'd have some decency."

"Language, Mr. Jiruga." the judge quietly intoned.

"Hn." The man paused at Nnoitra's answer before switching his questions. "Would you tell us what you found when you arrived?"

"Found 'im sittin on the ground, barely conscious and bleedin all over the place. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and I carried 'im to it." Nnoitra continued telling what he had seen while on the scene.

"Is that how he broke his wrist? While beating up the now deceased?"

"Nah...broke it during the car accident caused by that crazy red head gunnin 'em down." Nnoitra continued answering the few questions he was asked, giving the prosecutor almost nothing to work with.

"No further questions." The man mumbled and made his way back to his own seat. Nnoitra was dismissed and went back to sit with Ulquiorra, Starrk and Isshin.

Several witnesses were called to the stand, all of them asked multiple questions by both attorneys. Ukitake had to give the prosecutor credit, the man wouldn't go down without a fight. It was a close race, as he and Grimmjow had expected for this case and plea.

Finally, after a recess and another round of questions, the make or brake witness was called to the stand. They had decided to only call on him if they weren't positive they would win the case, if they felt the jury needed to see him first hand to be able to sympathize with the bluenette. The prosecutor had been able to put enough doubt in the jury to pull him to stand. Ukitake had hoped to spare Grimmjow from going through questioning, knowing he would more than likely be mentally shredded by both, he and the prosecutor, but he and the bluenette had both expected he would end up being the witness to make his case.

Grimmjow sat down in the witness chair after taking his oath, eyes trained on his hands where they rested on the small podium in front of him. The man looked bent and broke, like he had been trod upon by the very gods themselves, but that's what Ukitake had been counting on. It was easy to forget how human the man was until you were forced to stare him in the face. The jury would get to see him as a man, rather than the object of the trial.

Ukitake asked him a series of questions. The answers Grimmjow gave detailed the events that lead up to the fight and eventual conclusion of said fight. "What did Renji Abarai say to you while he was taunting you, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?" Ukitake's voice was quiet, slight concern lacing his tone, but it carried through out the silent room.

Grimmjow closed his eyes for a moment, right hand absently straying to the front of his shirt for a moment before dropping back to his lap. He let out a deep breath and opened his eyes, still staring at his hands. "Uhh...He..." Grimmjow hesitated.

"It's alright, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, take your time and tell us word for word if you can."

The bluenette gave a slight nod, continuing what he had been trying to say. "I remember him taunting me...he said that I was better at fighting... better than... my 'faggot fuck buddy.'" He grimaced and clenched his jaw as he said the words. "Then asked me how...how he was doing and if he was...still a 'vegetable'"

"And this was in reference to your comatose lover, correct?" Ukitake asked, glancing at the jury for a moment. All eyes were trained on the distraught bluenette, sympathy and pain shimmering from most.

"Yes." The answer was no louder than a whisper.

"What happened between Mr. Abarai taunting you and your friend, Mr. Jiruga, talking to you in the back of the ambulance?"

Grimmjow was silent for a few minutes, seemingly deep in thought, before he shrugged ever so slightly. "I...I don't know...One minute he was...taunting me, the next I was sitting in the ambulance, Nnoi yelling my name..."

"You really don't know what happened? How the fight ended or how you ended up in the vehicle?" Grimmjow shook his head in the negative, eyes still trained down. "No further questions, your honor." Ukitake said quietly, retaking his seat and sending an apologetic look at Grimmjow, knowing what was to come.

The apposing council stood, a small smile twitching at the corner of his thin lips, no doubt unable to believe the defendant had actually been called to the stand. He stood before the bluenette, eyeing the man with open contempt. "Mr. Jaegerjaquez, is it true that you have killed once before?"

The room collectively sucked in an astonished breath, holding it in silence while all waited for the answer. Blue brows drew together in a look of mixed anger and confusion as Grimmjow stared up at the man asking him questions. His right hand absently found it's way to the front of his shirt again, unconsciously rubbing at his chest while he grimaced. Ukitake had noticed the odd habit the bluenette had whenever talking or thinking about his past. The attorney had quickly put the pieces together after hearing the details of his mother's death.

When Grimmjow remained silent, the prosecutor became impatient and asked his question again, trying to shock the jury. "Is it true you butchered your own mother as a child? You were a killer from the beginning."

Ukitake shot to his feet at that last statement "Objection!" The judge nodded his agreement and shot the opposing council a warning glare. Grimmjow continued rubbing at his chest, still as silent as before, gaze straying to his friends in the back of the court room before focussing back on the man in front of him.

"Well, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?" The prosecutor asked, mimicking Grimmjow's movements and making a face, trying to hold back his curiosity.

The bluenette finally found his voice. "I don't see what this has to do with my case..." he whispered, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he needed to tell the jury what had happened now, or they would see him as a murderer. "My...my mother became very ill when I was young...she was brought to a mental institution, where she was medicated to keep her demons away, then sent back home, to me. I didn't understand at the time..." his voice was quiet, but carried in the deathly silent room. "The creature that came home was not my mother... she...she tried to set me free... with a kitchen knife..." Grimmjow's breathing quickened, his eyes held a far away look as he rubbed at his abdomen with a trembling hand.

The apposing council's eyes widened slightly, finally understanding his mistake in bringing the topic up. "But you did end up killing her, yes, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?"

"I...fell and broke a mirror...when she fell onto me with the knife...she also fell onto the piece I had been holding..." Ukitake let out a relieved sigh, Grimmjow managed to admit fault while still directing the attention away from the obvious yes that was his answer.

"Yes or no, did you kill your mother?" The man asked in a stern, aggressive voice, attempting to correct his mistake and make the bluenette look like the bad guy again. "And why do you keep doing this?" he asked in slight agitation, again mimicking Grimmjow's movements.

Ukitake stood once again. "Objection, your honor, since when do we condone mental torture in the court room?" He asked quickly, knowing the judge would silence him. "This hardly has any relevance to the case as it is."

The judge's voice rang through the court room. "Sustained. You better be going somewhere with this, council."

Grimmjow was asked a few more questions, the opposing council trying desperately to make the bluenette look like a murderer in the eyes of the jurors. His questions circled back around to how he conveniently couldn't remember killing the man, how his friend had conveniently been the first on the scene and how he had known that the boys following him had meant trouble. "Why didn't you use your phone and call the police?"

"I.. I really don't know... I didn't think about it..." Grimmjow answered hesitantly.

"You didn't think about it? Is it because at least part of you wanted to kill the man who had done these things to you?" The council asked, a small, devious smirk tilting his lips.

Grimmjow's answer was quick and sure, no debating needed. "No. Maybe a part of me wanted the fight. But I would never want to honestly kill someone."

"Well, thats what I would say if I were on trial for murder too." The man said, turning away from the witness, knowing that his words would strike the jury. "No further questions, your honor."

Grimmjow sat and stared at the man, wide eyed, for a few moments, before being dismissed from the bench.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Writing this court scene was a lot harder than I thought it would be... I hope it turned out ok<strong>  
><strong>Let me know what you guys think!<strong>


	19. Tried and True

**AN: Firstly, thanks for the info about the court scene guys! I'm glad you enjoyed it even though it wasn't entirely accurate ^^; Anyway~  
>Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting to long for this chapter, it took me a while to get it started, but once I did (early today really) it sort of wrote it's self<strong>

**Enjoy~  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Tried and True<strong>

The prosecutor's closing speech blurred by, the man droning on for a ten, long minutes that Grimmjow was unable to pay attention to. His mind was reeling, yet blank at the same time. A billion thoughts rushed through his brain, yet he couldn't put his finger on a single one. They were there, swirling about, but he couldn't put them together. He belatedly realized Ukitake had left his side and was standing before the jury, his quiet, powerful voice addressing the members.

"...how would you feel if your entire world were flipped upside down? The person you were in love with injured, maybe never to wake up. Your friend's hurt and in danger, stalked by a violent gang, the business that you poured your heart and soul into defaced and disgraced. A cat, more family then pet, that you saved as a kitten and nurtured back to health was stolen, beaten, starved and thought to be dead..."

Again, the bluenette was pulled into his mind. Grimmjow sat, in his appointed, defendant's chair, his blue eyes down cast, swirling with too many emotions to name. He knew he should be paying attention to what his lawyer said, but he could hardly bring himself to care.

"...Mr. Jaegerjaquez shouldn't have to sit here, fighting for his freedom, while his lover lies in a hospital bed, fighting for his life..."

He could hardly bring himself to hope; hope that he would be found not guilty, hope that he would be set free. Hope that he would wake up and the past several months were all just a bad dream. But he had killed a man, and nothing could change that.

As his mind wandered to Ichi, he realized he didn't regret that the man was dead. He didn't even regret that the red head had died by his hands; only that he might not be around for Ichigo when he woke up.

Vague movement from Ukitake drew his attention. The man's thin frame had turned slightly, hand sweeping out to gesture towards him. He let his vision fall back to the table top as he let Ukitake's voice wash over him once again.

"...Before you sits an innocent man. A man that has been through more than anyone should ever have to go through." Ukitake paused, making eye contact with the jurors before continuing. "Do the what's right, and let Mr. Jaegerjaquez begin picking up the pieces of his shattered life." He stood quietly for a moment, looking over the faces of the jury, before nodding slightly and making his way back to Grimmjow's side, the silence and heavy mood of the court room nearly deafening.

••••••

Something wasn't right. The room was dark, where was he exactly? What had happened? He couldn't remember. Everything felt so heavy, he could feel his body, but it felt numb and nothing would respond to his commands, like it wasn't really his. Maybe it actually was someone else's body. He would be able to look if he could see.

A small groan slipped past his lips, causing him to furrow his brow at how weak it sounded. The realization that everything was dark because his eyes were closed struck him.

Prying his eyes open, his vision was assaulted by bright, blinding light. He quickly scrunched them closed again, against the onslaught of the sensory over load, and took a deep breath. His chest felt tight, heavy, almost painfully so.

Something wasn't right, he still couldn't figure out where he was. And he couldn't hear anything, barely even his own thoughts. His mind was heavy, thoughts sluggish as the true black abyss of nothingness swallowed him again.

••••••

Ulquiorra sat in the hard, court room chair, Nnoitra to his left with Starrk just past him, Isshin Kurosaki sat to his right. The doctor fidgeted slightly in his seat, he seemed to genuinely care about what happened to Grimm and Ulquiorra decided he was a good enough guy. On his other side, Nnoitra mumbled curses and asked what the hell was taking so long under his breath, dragging a long fingered hand threw his straight, black hair.

The jury had left a while ago to decide Grimmjow's fate, and all four held their breaths as the members began to filter back in after the long wait.

Large, green eyes shifted to focus on his friend. Grimmjow had yet to move, yet to show that he knew the jury was back with the verdict, lost in his thoughts that no doubt centered on the worst of conclusions. Ulquiorra let his vision trail to the door the judge would be entering through. As soon as the old man made an appearance, they would finally know if Grimmjow would be able to return home.

The atmosphere in the court room was tense as the door creaked open and the judge took his place at the head of the room. He sat down, glancing at a paper before handing it over. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

A man on the end of the jury box stood. "We have, your honor." He said, voice even as he accepted and opened the folded parchment.

The pale assassin glanced at the bluenette, who had raised his head to pin the jury with a blank look as everyone waited for the ruling. He realized he was more nervous now than he had ever been on any job he had been contracted for.

••••••

Grimmjow blinked from his thoughts when Ukitake nudged him, drawing his attention. He looked to his lawyer, the man watched as the jury members entered the room. The bluenette let his vision also follow them. The jurors entered the jury box, taking their seats. Very few of them gave the bluenette anything more than a cursory glance.

He schooled his features and emotions as the entire room sat in silence, awaiting the judges appearance. If he were to show emotion now, he knew he would loose all control over them. It was better to accept his fate quietly. He absently wandered what life in prison would be like, wandered if Ichi would ever come and visit him. As soon as the though bubbled into his mind, he wanted to beat himself for thinking it.

The judge finally entered the room, he sat down, eyeing Grimmjow for a moment before speaking. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hands clenched together where they sat on the table in front of him.

"We have, your honor."

The bluenette took another deep breath and opened his eyes, watching the face of the man who was now standing and facing him. Grimmjow felt the muscles in his shoulders and back tense up at the man's carefully controlled gaze. The juror looked down at the piece of paper in his hands, reading aloud as he read.

"We, the jury, find the defendant, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, on the count of murder..." the man paused, finally looking Grimmjow in the eye. The bluenette held his breath. "...not guilty."

For a long moment, nothing happened. The court room was silent, not a single person daring to even breath or break the tension. The pregnant quiet was broken by the judge's gavel, followed by the man's deep voice. "Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you are a free man."

Grimmjow sat completely still, numb and frozen in place as the people around him stood, his eyes wide as he stared at nothing and attempted to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Ukitake stood up beside him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a standing position.

A large hand clapped him on the back and he slowly turned to see Nnoitra's large, piano key grin. The lanky man stepped forward, wrapping long arms around him and pulling the bluenette into a brotherly hug, effectively pulling the bluenette from his stupor. Grimmjow let a small smile tug at his lips as he hugged the man back before pulling away. Never had he thought he would be glad to hug Nnoitra, of all people, even if the man was the closest thing to family he had.

He turned to face Ukitake, preparing to do what he could to thank the man. But he held up his hand, telling the bluenette there was no need for gratification, a gentle smile on his face. Grimmjow understood the smile, and held out his hand, clasping the lawyer's as Ukitake extended his own. Grimmjow had no way to properly express his gratitude for the man that had helped secure his freedom anyway. But then, Ukitake didn't seem the type to need such things, which made Grimmjow all the more thankful toward him. He'd have to remember to by the man a drink if he ever talked to him again, hopefully under better circumstances.

The bluenette watched the lawyer gather his things before he turned back to his friends, all of whom wore happy expressions. Even Ulquiorra had a small, upward tilt to his lips. He loosened his teal tie and they all headed for the door to the court room, the happiest smile any of them had scene on the man in months marring his features.

Nnoitra bumped into his blue haired friend's side playfully. "Grimm, we need ta hit up the bar, yer drinks er on me!" Nnoitra exclaimed, clasping Grimmjow on the shoulder and giving the man a large, slightly feral grin, leaning down slightly to be on eye level with the shorter bluenette.

The man let out a deep chuckle, a slight grin tilting his lips. "Nah... maybe later, Nnoi." Grimmjow told his lanky friend, the tall man's smile faltered as he looked down at his friend. "There's someone else I need to see first." Grimmjow explained, small smile still present, a hint of sadness making it's way to the forefront of rampant emotions swirling in his blue eyes.

Nnoitra nodded his understanding, giving the man's shoulder a light, comforting squeeze before letting go. The five men exited the building, Grimmjow, with Nnoitra at his side, leading the way.

The crowd around the entrance had thinned, not nearly as wild as before the trial had started, but the guards stood near by and at the ready. A few obscene things were shouted in Grimmjow's direction, but most of the noise made by the people around the building were cheers and congratulations. Someone even shouted out, asking for Grimm's autograph to be tattooed into his skin.

The four friends made their way to the parking lot, where their various vehicles were located, Isshin following quietly behind them. He was just happy Grimmjow wouldn't be going to jail.

The four younger men talked and joked, obviously over joyed that the bluenette would be sticking around, while they walked toward the cars.

Nnoitra made a comment about dropping the soap while Grimmjow was being held in prison, earning him a hard punch to his arm, Starrk and Ulquiorra laughing at the lanky man's expense.

"Not funny." Grimmjow grumbled while Nnoitra cackled like a hyena and rubbed at his arm. " 'sides, you know I don't bottom, asshole" Grimmjow told his lanky friend good naturedly, easily dodging the clumsy swing the man made at him.

Nnoitra cackled again. "Oh yeah? Not even fer Ichi?" He raised his one visible brow suggestively and laughed again when Grimmjow hesitated, the faintest shade of red making it's self evident on the bluenette's face.

"Oh, come now, Grimm." Green eyes turned toward the bluenette, a hint of amusement swirled in their depths. "Surely you wouldn't be able to say no to him." Ulquiorra piped in quietly, earning a light scowl from his blue haired friend.

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders. "Well, maybe." He conceded quietly, before a trademark grin stretched across his face. "But he seemed to enjoy me toppin'..." The bluenette froze, eyes going wide. He swallowed and turned stiffly to look at Isshin, just remembering Ichigo's father was still standing behind them.

The other three young men burst into laughter, Nnoitra doubling over and Starrk patting Grimmjow on the back. Isshin just shook his head slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Speakin' a the berry." Nnoitra said, opening the door to his over sized truck and lifting one of his feet to rest on the chrome step bar. "We ought ta let ya go see 'im."

Ulquiorra nodded his agreement, saying his good byes and making Grimmjow promise to message him when he was ready to go out for a drink, before heading over to his own car. Starrk also parted his company, giving Grimmjow a brotherly hug before yawning and stepping away.

Nnoitra climbed up into the driver seat of his truck, making the bluenette look up even further than normal to speak with him. "Ya need a ride?" The lanky man asked Grimmjow, glancing over to Mr. Kurosaki for a second before returning his attention to Grimmjow.

"I can give him a ride." The doctor said, pulling his keys from his pocket.

Nnoitra shrugged, closing the door and rolling down his window. He told Grimmjow to give him a call later, then started the truck and pulled away.

"Your place first?" Isshin asked after the large pickup had driven away. Surly the bluenette would want to change out of his suit before heading to the hospital.

Grimmjow nodded his answer to the question. As the two men approached Isshin's vehicle, the younger paused. "Uhh..." He ran a hand through his unruly, blue hair. "I'm sorry... about us talking like that while he's..."

Isshin cut him off, opening up the driver's door. "No need, it just shows that none of you have given up on him" The older man said quietly. It meant more to him than he would show that Grimmjow and his friends still believed his son would wake up, that their faith in him hadn't wavered. He knew Ichigo would have all the help and support he needed once he awakened.

"Of course we wouldn't..." The bluenette climbed into the passenger side of the vehicle. "But... I don't know..." He shrugged and fumbled over his words a bit. "Your his dad and all..." It was just a little intimidating and awkward to say sexual things about someone to his or her father. And Grimmjow really cared for Ichigo, the last thing he wanted was for his father to hate him.

Isshin chuckled, sitting in the driver seat next to him. He always figured he would have a conversation like this with one of his daughter's boyfriends, not his son's. "He may be my son, but he's not a child anymore." He smiled at the bluenette. Isshin trusted the man beside him with his son's heart, he knew Grimmjow would never harm Ichigo. "And I'm not so naive..." He said chuckling again and shaking his head. His son's lover shot him a grin. "I don't even want to think about it" He said, still smiling and started the car. It was true, he really didn't want that image in his head, but that didn't mean it bothered him the way it would have years ago.

••••••

Grimmjow sighed wearily, unlocking his front door. His first reaction was to greet Pantera, but he let a slight frown mar his brow instead. She was still recuperating at Nnoitra's, but at least she was safe there and he knew Nnoi would take good care of her until Grimm got back and picked her up. Nnoitra was an asshole sometimes, but he was a good friend. Pan would get whatever she needed while there, and Grimmjow would probably have to put her on a diet by the time he picked her up. Nnoi had a habit of feeding her anything and everything she tried to beg for, which was always people food she really didn't need.

"Want somethin' to drink?" He asked Isshin as he stepped through the front door, holding it for the older man.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Isshin told him, taking in the sights of Grimmjow's apartment. It was simply decorated, with tasteful, manly colors. The doctor smiled slightly, sitting down at the bar while the bluenette made his way down the hall.

"Alright, make yourself comfortable." He said, from halfway down the hall. Letting out another, deep sigh, he opened the door to his room and padded to his closet. He stripped down, hanging the suit and pulling out a pair of loose, comfy jeans. He tugged the pants on, grabbing a plain, long sleeved, black shirt from his dresser, as well as a pair of socks.

Grimmjow left his room, grabbing his riding jacket from where it had been dropped on his bed as he went. He entered his living room, tossing the jacket and shirt over the back of the couch and sat down to pull his socks on. Leaning back, he scrubbed his hands over his face, beginning to feel the effects of too many sleepless nights.

Stifling a yawn, the bluenette glanced up when he heard Isshin enter the room and sit down on the other couch, opposite of where he sat. He grabbed his shirt and straighten from his slouch, raising his arms to slid the black material over his head. Cringing, he could feel the older man's eyes studying his scars and he quickly pulled the shirt down to cover them. He sat back, averting his gaze from Isshin, silently praying the man wouldn't ask about them.

"So..." Isshin spoke up, noting the way Grimmjow seemed reluctant to meet his gaze. He figured it was because the man didn't want to talk about the marks on his abdomen. Of course, Isshin had seen them when the bluenette had first landed in the hospital with Ichi all those months ago, but he never imagined they could have been caused by something so terrible.

Grimmjow closed his eyes, waiting for the questions to start.

"You want a ride or are you driving your bike?"

••••••

Isshin lead the way to his son's room. The bluenette had opted for riding with him, for which, the doctor was glad. The air had a chilly bite to it this late and Grimmjow seemed worn out, it was probably better that he not ride his motorcycle. The last thing anyone needed was to give Grimm another room, next to his son.

They stepped through the door and entered the smallish hospital room. Isshin stepped to the side and let the bluenette enter, quietly closing the door behind them as Grimmjow walked over to Ichigo's bedside. He turned, leaning back against the door, and quietly watched his son's lover, giving them a bit of privacy as the man pulled his jacket off and threw it over the back of a chair. The man's eyes never left Ichigo's form and Isshin knew it had been much too long since Grimm had gotten to see him.

The unconscious young man had a deep scowl across his features, some of his orange bangs slanted across his face. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, mocking a natural sleep, under the thick, white blanket that had been pulled to wrap around his shoulders. A few cords snaked out from beneath the blankets, but it was a far cry from the number that had been attached to the young man before. The steady pulse of the heart rate monitor permeated the silence in the background.

The blue haired man looked down on his lover for a moment, before brushing the backs of his fingers across a pale cheek and bending to kiss Ichigo's forehead.

Eyelids fluttered lightly as the scowl that was etched onto the orange head's features eased just a bit. Grimmjow gave a gentle smile at the unconscious reaction and pulled the chair closer to the bed side to sit down. Reaching beneath the blanket, he clasped Ichigo's still hand, rubbing his thumb in slow circles against his warm palm.

"Hey, Ichi." Grimmjow whispered quietly, a gentle, slightly saddened smile slanting his lips. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while..."

Isshin quietly made his way over to the other side of the room, sitting on the couch that sat in the back of the small room, careful not to interrupt the blue haired man. He grabbed the chart from the bedside desk and busied himself with going over his son's vitals. Checking the boy's current stats, he scribbled the time and date down while his son's lover continued to talk quietly.

After a few minutes, finished checking and entering Ichigo's vitals, he leaned back on the couch cushions, pacing the clip board back on the table. Realizing the room had gone quiet, he looked up, a smile taking over his features at the sight that met him.

The bluenette sat in the arm chair by Ichi's bed, his elbow propped up, head in his hand. A few extra strands of unruly, blue hair fell across his forehead. His other hand still held Ichigo's under the warm blanket, both of their chests rose and fell in time as Grimmjow slept where he sat. Isshin didn't have the heart to wake the man up and take him home, away from Ichi. Instead, he made himself comfortable on the couch.

••••••

Blue brows furrowed as his mind was slowly pulled from whatever he had been dreaming about. Grimmjow grumbled a bit in his sleep heavy state, not bothering to open his eyes and wanting nothing more than to return to his rest. His sluggish mind began searching for the thing that had wakened him.

Slowly, he registered a slight pressure around his fingers. Frowning a little deeper, he carefully pried his blue eyes open, taking in his surroundings. He sat up a little straighter, looking down to see that Ichigo's fingers had wrapped around his own.

"Ichi?" He whispered quietly, watching his lover's face for any reaction. He glanced over to Isshin, who had stirred and sat up when he spoke. The man was giving him a confused look, but said nothing.

The pressure around his hand tightened fractionally. It was barely enough to notice, but Grimmjow still felt it. A quiet groan issued forth from slightly parted, pale lips and Grimmjow practically jumped, fully awake and sitting on the edge of his chair now. Isshin sat a little straighter and they both stared down at the unconscious orange head.

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow said again, his voice a little louder. He returned the slight pressure and gently squeezing Ichi's fingers back, hoping that his lover could feel that he was there.

The younger man's eyes danced behind his lids and his head turned slightly toward Grimmjow, before brown iris's peeked open for a brief moment, sliding tightly shut again in the next moment.

The bluenette stood, the chair sliding back and out of the way with the force. He kneeled at the bed side, his free hand coming up to brush orange locks away from the pale face in front of his own, his other hand still gently squeezing the smaller one clasped in his grasp. "Ichigo? Can you hear me?" His voice was quiet and wavered slightly, his blue eyes wide and searching Ichi's face for any signs of movement.

From the couch, Isshin had stood up, taking the few steps that would bring him to the other side of the bed. He looked down at his son, glancing at the boy's lover before training his vision on the monitors around the room. Everything was showing strong, relatively healthy signs. Another quiet groan jerked his attention back to the bed, where Ichigo was scowling again.

Brown eyes slowly opened, blinking and unfocused, but aimed at the bluenette kneeling beside him. Grimmjow felt his heart leap into his throat, tears threatening to spill from his wide, blue eyes.

Pale lips parted, a quiet, weak and rough voice filling the silence of the room.

••••••

Blackness. Then he felt a slight warmth wrapped around his hand. His hand...he could feel his body again. He squeezed his hand shut around the warmth, pleased when his body listened to his commands this time. It was a weak movement, but it was something.

Everything felt heavy again and he groaned, the sound barely leaving his throat. It didn't hurt, not really, it was like something was keeping him numb from the pain he thought he should be feeling. He racked his brain for some answer as to what was going on.

A slight pressure drew his attention back to his hand as the warm enveloping it gave a gentle squeeze back. Something about the action felt familiar, felt...right.

Vague sounds registered faintly in the background. Long minutes drew past, the steady sounds of high pitched yet quiet beeping and forced air drew him forward. He took a deep breath, hearing the way the sound of the air changed slightly.

Heavy darkness gave way to blinding white and confusion and he squeezed his eyes shut again, waiting for a few minutes until trying again. Blinking, he tried to clear his vision and make sense of this bright world. The sound of his name being called over and over again slowly drew his attention. The voice was deep and comforting.

He let his head fall to the side. A brilliant blue smudge broke through the blinding, unending surface of white; indistinct, blurred, spectral...but familiar.

"Gr...Grimm...?"

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><p><strong>AN: Soooo what do you guys think? I MAY be taking a bit of a hiatus from this story, though I can't imagine it would be too long, seeing as I feel like the ending may be in the next chapter or two. But I've had this other idea gnawing at my brain for a few days and I think I'm going to let it run and see where it goes ^^<br>Anyway, I wanna know what you think about this chapter and story as a whole! Let me know!**


	20. Happy and  Whole

**Hope I didn't make you guys wait too long for an update ^^; I've been trying to work on both, this story and my other one at the same time, plus work every night, but I'm managing! I know that there will be at least one more chapter to this story, possibly two, we'll have to wait and see how it goes 8D**

**Anyway, enjoy~  
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><p><strong>Chapter 20: happy and whole<strong>

A small, tired groan slipped past his lips as the sound of beeping slowly roused him from his sleep. Prying deep, chocolate brown eyes open, Ichigo carefully turned his head toward the sound, curious as to what it was and a little annoyed that whatever it was had woke him.

It had been almost two weeks since he had woken from his coma. Since then, he had spent his time either being driven up the wall by doctors, or sleeping. After months of laying still in a bed, he couldn't believe how tired he was, but no one seemed to mind and the doctors said it was normal, that it was his body's way of speeding up his natural healing.

He felt bad for sleeping through most of the time he had visitors. He remembered waking up to find Shinji and Nnoitra sitting on the couch talking quietly with an exhausted looking Grimmjow. Neither one had minded that he had been asleep most of their visit, they were just happy he was recovering finally.

Others had visited as well; a few of his friends from the club, the bluenette's other close friends; Ulquiorra and Starrk. His sisters had been there several times. The first visit, Yuzu had cried, throwing her little arms around his neck and Karin had scolded him for sleeping so long before looking up to study Grimm. She had scowled at him, threatening him if he ever let her big brother get hurt again.

Ichigo later found out that was his lover's first meeting with his little sisters. The bluenette and Karin had instantly gotten along. Well, after her initial threats were out of the way. Yuzu seemed really shy around the larger man, the orange head wasn't sure why just yet.

Ichigo smiled softly at the warm thoughts that flooded his fuzzy memory as he felt sleep tug at his consciousness again. Grimmjow had hardly left his side since he had woken up. He was so relieved that the bluenette hadn't given up on him, having the man at his side these past couple weeks had really been a huge help, emotionally as well as physically.

The doctors had started coming in several times a day, making him go through a series of motions with his arms and legs, feet and hands. Ichigo knew they were doing it to force circulation and muscle strengthening, things he needed desperately after being immobile for so long.

At first he could hardly make a fist, he had been so weak, but with the bluenette's encouragement, he was making good progress, though he was still bed ridden and had to have help to sit up or move to a chair.

Grimmjow made it a point to be by his side for everyone of his physical therapy sessions. It didn't matter what time of the day or night, he was always there, cheering Ichigo on or helping him.

Sometimes it hurt just to go through the simple movements and by the time the physical therapist left, he would nearly be in tears, desperately trying to hold them back. Grimmjow, on multiple occasions, had scared away the therapist when he could see that Ichigo was in too much pain to continue and too stubborn to let the therapist know.

After closing the door behind the poor doctor, he would crawl up on the bed next to Ichigo, holding him close in a gentle, but strong embrace until the orange head would either fall asleep or the pain would subside.

A shrill beep rang through out the silence of his room again, pulling him from his sleepy thoughts. Furrowing his brows a bit, Ichigo reopened his eyes to look around.

The lights were dimmed, telling him it was probably starting to get late. Turning his head, he caught sight of a cell phone on the bedside table. The screen was lit up, telling him that Grimmjow had a new message.

Frowning a bit, he wondered where the bluenette was. He shifted slightly, glancing over at the chair that sat by his bed, where Grimmjow usually sat while he was asleep. He had tried to get him to go home, at least at night, but the blue haired man would hear none of it.

A figure sat in the chair, but it wasn't the lean, muscular form of Grimmjow. Frowning, he studied the man seated beside his bed. In the low lighting, it was tough for him to focus, but soon enough, he could make out familiar features.

His father, Isshin, sat in the chair, studying him quietly. Ichigo could see something like pain or guilt swirl in the man's dark eyes. He knew his father felt horrible about how their relationship had deteriorated. Karin and Yuzu had told him about the late nights their dad spent at the hospital with him. Even Grimmjow had mentioned that maybe his father deserved a second chance. But he didn't hate his father, not anymore, at least.

When he had first woken up long enough to realize Isshin was there, he had been mad, livid even. He didn't want to see the man who couldn't accept him for who he was, and it made him even more angry to think that he wouldn't like Grimmjow, just because the bluenette was gay. But, as he had been awake for longer periods of time, he had been given the chance to reevaluate his father and learn that he didn't really hate the man anymore.

Now, it was just... awkward to see and talk to the man again after so long.

It had amazed him when he first found out how well his father and his lover got along. Apparently, they had grown quite close while the bluenette was recovering from the accident, and the friendship lasted even after he was released. Ichigo was glad for it. He was becoming more certain by the day that he wanted to try to rekindle his relationship with his father.

The orange head opened his mouth to speak and his father held his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. Annoyance flashed in brown eyes before Isshin's own eyes widened slightly at the look. His father quickly motioned with his thumb for Ichigo to look behind where he was sitting, emphatically shaking his head side to side.

Obeying, Ichi tilted his head slightly, looking toward where his father indicated. His features softened and a small smile tilted his lips.

Grimmjow lay, sprawled on his back, on the couch. He wore a pair of baggy, black sweats and a white beater tank top. His toned arms were folded behind his head, which was tilted slightly so he was facing the bed. Blue strands fell across his slightly furrowed brow. Full lips were parted slightly and Ichigo was just barely able to make out the sound of his sleep steady breaths. His legs were crossed at his ankles, feet hanging over the arm of the couch, shoes kicked off and laying on the floor next to the couch.

Ichigo desperately wanted to get up and kiss the slight frown away from his lover's features. Disappointed that he couldn't, he gave a quiet sigh, smile still on his lips as he turned back to the phone on the table. Reaching out a slightly shaking arm, he clasped long fingers around the device, bring it closer. He opened the phone, peeking at who the messages were from.

Nnoitra's name flashed across the screen as he opened the first of the messages, dated for a few hours ago. _"__think__ur__cats__sick__of__me.__keeps__trying__to__tear__up__my__furniture.__ur__ganna__owe__me__a__new__couch__"_

Ichigo let out a quiet snort and shook his head a bit. He had been told that Pan was staying with Nnoitra while Grimmjow wasn't home. He felt like there was more of a story there, but hadn't been told about it yet and he hadn't asked, figuring Grimmjow had a good reason for not telling him. He planned to bug the bluenette about it later, when he had the strength and energy to stay awake for the whole retelling.

Fingers flashed across the touch screen, opening the second message, this one dated for just a few minutes ago. _"__she__got__out.__Im__ganna__go__check__ur__place.__text__u__when__i__get__there.__"_

Ichigo's eyes widened, a worried expression on his features. Pantera had run away? He looked back to Grimmjow, who was still sound asleep on the couch. His father stood up after seeing his expression, and took a step closer to him, uncertainty etched across his face, like he wasn't sure what he should do or if it was ok for him to even be there.

Ichigo glanced up at him, holding the phone out for the older man to see. "do.." His voice came out as a hoarse whisper. Clearing his throat, he swallowed and started over. "Do you think we should wake him up?" He asked quietly, glancing back to Grimmjow.

Isshin looked over to the sleeping bluenette, brows drawing together slightly in a small, almost thoughtful frown. Ichigo understood the look. He hated to wake the man up, but Pantera was very important to him.

Just as Isshin turned back to his son, the phone started ringing in his hand. He jumped, almost dropping the cell when the silence was shattered by the man's screaming ring tone.

From the couch, Grimmjow jolted upright with a grunt and threw his feet over the couch to the floor as the lyrics to one of his favorite metal songs were screamed through the speakers on his phone. Isshin handed him the device. Quickly silencing it, he scrubbed a hand over his face and yawned out a quick "Yeah?" not bothering to see who was calling.

A second later, he was tugging his shoes on, phone cradled between his ear and shoulder while he talked to Nnoitra. "What do ya mean 'you can't find her?' How did she get out?" He stood up, looking at Ichigo. A slight smile managed to push back his scowl for a moment before he continued speaking with Nnoi, his voice drawing on an angry, growling tone. "Nnoi, ya know there's very few things that I get pissed at you for, but I'll kill you if you loose my cat."

Ichigo watched blue eyes widen slightly, darting to look at Isshin. A grimace flashed through both of the older men's features simultaneously before Grimmjow's attention was drawn back to the phone. The exchange left Ichi feeling like he had missed a bad joke somewhere along the line and he looked from his lover, to his father and back.

He couldn't hear what his lover's lanky friend was saying, but he could tell it was upsetting the bluenette. "Grimm" The orange head said quietly, knowing his voice would easily draw the man's attention. "Go look for her."

Grimmjow's blue brows rose slightly as he looked at Ichi, phone still glued to his ear. "Ichi..." He started, but was halted by said man's upraised hand.

"Go find her" Ichigo gave him a sweet smile. "And bring her to visit" he added happily.

A much happier grin split the larger man's face as he took the few steps to Ichigo's side. He removed the phone from his ear, holding it at his side but not hanging up. He bent, kissing the orange head. "Alright. I'll be back soon." He whispered, standing back up and bringing the phone back to his ear. "You checked the shop? And my place?" The bluenette said into the phone as he left the room.

Ichigo watched him leave, then turned to look back at his father, a determined set to his jaw. Using his arms, he pushed himself into a position that was more sitting then laying, and leaned back into the plush pillows that were propped up behind him.

Isshin raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not sure what his son was thinking about. He diverted his gaze from Ichigo's brown eyes for a second. But he couldn't bring himself to look away for long. He retook his seat in the bedside chair, looking directly at Ichi and waiting to see what was on his boy's mind.

The orange haired man closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep, calming breath as he organized his thoughts and steadied himself. It was time to start repairing his damaged relationship with his father.

••••••

Nnoitra walked a circle around his buddy's apartment complex. "Dammit, cat." He mumbled under his breath. "Pan!" He called her name, hoping she was near by and would still come to his call. The little monster had been terrorizing him lately, restless and constantly pacing. She had even taken too sneak attacking him when he got to close, and not in a very playful manner. But she probably just missed her blue haired owner and Nnoi couldn't bring himself to be angry at the cat.

He had already searched for her around his place, checking everywhere he could think of, both in his apartment and the surrounding neighborhood. His next thought had been Grind, where the beast usually showed up when she got out, but that had been a no go and he finally broke down and called Grimmjow. He couldn't just not tell the man, he didn't have a death wish.

Nnoitra made a face at his own thoughts and sat down on the hood of his car, awaiting Grimmjow's arrival. "Dammit." He mumbled again, taking a drag from the cigarette he hadn't realized he'd lit. He hadn't smoked since before Grimmjow's trial. He shrugged to himself, now was as good a time as any.

A few minutes later, Grimmjow pulled up beside him on his bike. He killed the engine and pulled his helmet off but stayed astride the motorcycle, looking over at Nnoitra.

The lanky, raven haired man huffed a sigh, flicking his half smoked cigarette to the pavement. He watched his friend, not sure what to say.

Grimmjow broke the silence, he wasn't really angry at Nnoi, just worried about Pan. "You looked here and at the shop, where else would she go?" He said, more to himself than Nnoitra. He twisted around on the bike, careful to keep his feet planted so that it wouldn't tip on him. The bluenette strapped his helmet behind him so he could ride without it and not have to worry about it falling off. Starting the engine again, he looked back to Nnoi. "I'm going to ride back to the shop, maybe she hasn't made it this far yet."

Nnoi nodded and Grimm pulled back into the street. He drove slow, angering a few people too stupid to want to just pass him, but he wanted to keep his eyes open for any signs of Pantera while he drove.

She was probably looking for him, most cats usually only get attached to one person, and Grimm was that person for Pan. The cat would probably show up on his door step on her own in a few days, but he felt bad for not seeing her enough and didn't want to leave her out on her own.

Nearing the shop, still with no sign of his cat, Grimmjow pulled his bike up onto the sidewalk and parked it in front of his parlor. He dropped the kick stand and swung his leg over, getting off the bike. "Pantera!" He called out, looking around. Rounding the corner of the building, he started walking down the ally, still calling for his cat.

••••••

"So...uh..." Ichigo paused, taking a sip from a glass of water. "What do you think of Grimm?" He and his father had been talking about random things since the bluenette had left, neither had actually brought up the topic that bothered them, neither one apologized or mentioned their estrangement. It was mostly just idle talk about anything and everything. It was nice, comfortable. Ichigo held no delusions that everything between him and Isshin were going to be just fine now, but he felt it was a good start.

Isshin's laughter boomed through out the room. "Oh, son!" his father was beginning to act more and more like his goofy, old self again. His expression softened and he smiled at Ichigo. "You really don't need my approval, Ichi, you've done well on your own these past years..." Isshin gently laid his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "But you certainly have it anyway."

Ichigo smiled at his father's round about way of saying he liked Grimmjow and approved of Ichi's boyfriend. He laughed, amused and just a tad bit apprehensive at the thought of his father and Grimm hanging out together. He could just imagine all the embarrassing things they would talk about, neither one of them having much of a filter. Thinking about what kind of conversations they may have already had made him turn a light shade of pink.

"You know, the first time we met, he punched me." Isshin said, a silly smile tilting his lips.

Ichigo covered his slightly gaping mouth with his hand, eyes widening a little. Well, that was news. Why would his lover do that? Did the man want his father to dislike him?

Isshin chuckled. "The man has a good right hook, even when his other arm is useless."

Ichigo's eyes widened even further as Isshin continued telling him stories of Grimmjow's stay at the hospital and how they had accidently met. As the stories continued, Ichigo promised himself to yell at Grimmjow for not telling him about all his injuries.

Laughing, Isshin took note of the look that flashed through his son's expressive, brown eyes. "Don't be too hard on him, son! He's just worried about you"

Ichigo smiled a little, knowing his father was right. He started to respond, but was interrupted by the hospital room phone. It rang once before automatically switching to loud speaker to act as an intercom.

"Dr. Kurosaki?" A timid voice asked through the device.

Sighing, Isshin reached over and pushed a button, allowing him to reply. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, sir. I know you're off duty right now, but there is an issue that we need you to deal with at the front office..." The woman's uncertainty was obvious in her voice, even over the speaker.

Pressing the button again, Isshin addressed her again. "What is the problem?" He asked her. After releasing the button, he spoke under his breath. "And, please, do not tell me that mad man got himself hurt again." The image of Grimmjow, bloody and beaten, walking through the double doors, cursing at the EMTs flashed through his mind.

"Um... well, sir. There is... an animal scaring patrons trying to walk in and out, it keeps trying to get in through the front entrance..."

Isshin scrunched his brow a bit, again pressing the button so he could reply. "An animal? Call one of the guards."

"Umm... we were told that you might know the owner of the animal..."

Isshin stood before the woman finished her statement, already knowing what she was going to say. The animal she was talking about could only be Grimmjow's cat. The large feline had been there before, it kind of made sense that she would come back here, looking for her owner.

Smiling, he dug his cell phone from the pocked of his jeans and handed it to Ichigo. "Call your man and tell him he can quite panicking" He said, chuckling a bit and turning to the door.

Behind him, Ichigo smiled and started dialing. "Oi! Bring her up to visit if you can!" He called after his father. Isshin's laughter met his ears from somewhere down the hall as he pressed the call button.

••••••

Grimmjow called out Pantera's name again, for the millionth time. He was really starting to worry. The bluenette had yet to find any trace of the cat, and Nnoitra hadn't messaged him with any news on finding her either.

Walking out of the ally he had turned down, relief flooded Grimmjow's system when his phone started ringing. Speak of the damn devil. Hopefully that was Nnoi now, calling to let him know she had made her way to his apartment.

He pulled the phone from his pocket, pressing the button to quiet it as he did. Glancing at the screen, his relief died and had his heart in his throat as he read the name on the screen.

Quickly connecting the call, he took off in a quick trot, back toward Grind and his bike. "Isshin, is everything ok?"

There was a quiet, snorting chuckle from the person on the other end of the phone before a man spoke. "Awww..." A smile stretched across Grimmjow's face at the teasing voice. "So you really do worry about me"

Grimmjow grunted, still smiling, and leaned against his bike. "Kinda" he replied, knowing that he couldn't fool anyone. Everyone knew it was a little more than kind of worried.

Ichigo laughed on the other end, a sound that had Grimmjow's heart skipping a beat, this time for good reasons. "We found Pan, she's trying to walk through the front doors of the hospital."

"Seriously?" Grimmjow asked, surprise evident in his voice. He swung a long, lean leg over his bike, planting his feet and straddling the machine while he kicked the stand up and out of the way. He never realized just how quickly Pantera could cover extensive ground before. The hospital was a good ten minute drive from Nnoitra's place.

"Yep, they called dad and told him a giant cat was scaring people." Ichigo said, smile showing through his voice.

The bluenette heaved a sigh of relief, starting the engine to his motorcycle. "Alright...I'll see ya soon, Ichi." He said, ending the call and yanking his helmet on. A wide grin split his face in half as Grimm contemplated weather he should tell Nnoitra he could quit looking or if he should let the man sweat a little longer. Feeling generous and in an incredibly happy mood at the moment, he sent a quick message to Nnoitra.

••••••

By the time Grimmjow had arrived at the hospital once again, the commotion over the appearance of his cat had mostly died down. He had half expected to see Isshin sitting on the bench out front with her, but then, the older man had allowed him to bring her to see Ichigo before.

Walking through the large, glass sliding doors to the main entrance, the bluenette stuffed his hands in the pockets of his riding jacket. The receptionist looked at him and it occurred to Grimmjow that he probably looked a bit ridiculous in sweat pants and a motorcycle jacket. Whatever.

A few whispers of the "giant cat" ran through out the people sitting in the main lobby, making Grimmjow smirk as he walked past. He made his way to the elevator, excited to see both his lover and his cat.

As he started to push the door to Ichigo's room, the first thing he noticed was a loud, rumbling purr accompanied by a happy laughter. He stepped through the portal and closed the door behind him, a wide grin on his face at the sight.

Ichigo was sitting, leaning back against several white pillows to help support him, a wide smile painted across his full lips. Pantera had made herself comfortable on Ichigo's blanket covered lap, the orange head scratching behind her ears as she rubbed her face into his hand. Her purring could have almost rivaled the engine on his bike and the entire sight was enough to make Grimmjow the happiest he had been in a very long time.

Pantera looked up at him as he shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it over the back of the chair. She stood from her perch, glancing at Ichigo before jumping from the bed to head butt her owner's thigh.

Grimmjow bent to scoop her up in his muscled arms, hugging her close before setting her back down on the edge of the bed again. He brushed his fingers down the side of Ichigo's face, grin turning into a soft, happy smile. He kissed his lover and took his seat in the chair beside him.

Ichigo snuggled further back into his pillows and yawned as Pan made a few circles next to him. She finally curled up, head resting on his hip, watching him with intense, smiling blue eyes. The orange head let a smile tilt his lips, closing his eyes, as he thought about how much he liked the color blue, sleep creeping up on him again.

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><p><strong>So, what do you guys think?<strong>


	21. Life and Love

**AN: The final chapter of _For the Reason of Temporary Insanity_, it's extra long compared to the rest of the chapters, I hope that helps to make up for me ending the story! I'm pretty happy with this chapter and the story as a whole, I hope you guys are too**

**Enjoy~  
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><p><strong>Chapter 21: Life and Love<strong>

"Thats it, Ichigoooo, my son!" Isshin cheered happily from where he stood, a few feet back and out of the way. His son was making good progress, much to everyone's relief and joy. The elder Kurosaki stood, leaning back against the wall by the door to the physical therapy suite, watching as Ichi carefully forced his body to respond to his commands.

"Shut..." Ichigo grunted a little with effort and forced one foot in front of the other, grip tightening around Grimmjow's arm momentarily. He had been going through these routines several times a day since he had switched therapists, a man that wasn't quite so intimidated by the large and protective bluenette.

The physical therapist, a strange looking man with a creepy grin and golden eyes, was standing only a few meters in front of him now, encouraging Ichigo and telling him he was doing well. His goal was always the same, to walk all the way to the man. The first day of going to visit this particular doctor, the man had only stood a few feet away, this time, however, he had started from the opposite side of the room.

"Shut up, Goat face." Ichigo ground out, no real heat in his voice, and took another slightly shaking step. He was almost there.

Beside him, Grimmjow carefully matched his pace and steps, a wide grin never leaving his face as Ichigo slowly walked toward the doctor. He didn't care for the therapist much, the man rubbed him the wrong way, but he would do anything for Ichi.

Grimmjow let his lover lean as much weight on him as he needed, but Ichigo was determined to do this and only used the bluenette's support to steady himself. Grimmjow took another step forward with Ichi, eyes never leaving the orange head.

Off to the side, Shinji excitedly bounced up and down on his toes, clapping his hands together in front of him as he watched. Nnoitra towered behind the blond, piano key grin spread across his face. He placed his hands on the over excited Shinji's shoulders, halting his bouncing and making the slim blond hold still.

"Excellent, King, yer done." The therapist said, smile still in place on his pale lips.

Ichigo let a smile consume his features and finally allowed himself to lean against Grimmjow's solid body with a sigh. The bluenette easily and happily accepted his weight, wrapping an arm around Ichigo's waist.

"How ya feelin?" The doctor asked him.

The orange head thought for a moment. "Burns a little, like I just got done running, but it's a good feeling." He said with a happy smile. And it was true, it felt great. He may still need Grimmjow's support, and he may be unsteady, weakened still, but he was up and walking. No matter how hard it was, or how slow, even if it wasn't very far, he was still walking. The thought made him smile. He was determined to walk out of the hospital under his own power.

The doctor snorted, smile matching his patient's and motioned Isshin over. He scribbled on a clip board for a moment before speaking. "Don't rush, but if yer feelin up to it, ya can go home wit' yer dad tomorrow."

From the other side of the room, Shinji squealed, barely containing his excitement and resisting the urge to rush over and hug his best friend. Nnoitra held him in check, making sure they gave the recovering man his space while he talked to the doctor.

Ichigo frowned a bit and glanced up at Grimmjow.

The physical therapist saw the look "Ya can't stay by yerself, yer not strong 'nough fer that yet." He added with a stern look, leaving no room for argument.

Behind him, the bluenette let a small, nearly inaudible growl rumble through his chest that Ichigo felt more than heard. He patted the man's cored forearm and Grimmjow looked down at him before speaking. "Can he come home with me?"

The therapist lifted a snowy brow and looked up at the protective blue haired man. "He's ganna need someone to be around constantly fer a while. Don't a strappin young man like you have a steady job?"

Grimmjow instantly bristled, curling his lip at the doctor's mocking tone, his brow scrunching into his classic, angry and slightly murderous scowl. Ichigo could feel the man's muscles tense up against him and he again patted Grimm's arm, trying to calm him down. He didn't really understand it, but these two really didn't get along. Not that it mattered, he would be leaving soon.

Isshin stepped in, shooting his coworker a warning look. "He owns his own business, Dr. Shirosaki." Looking back to his son and the bluenette, he gave Grimmjow the same glare. He knew the therapist could be difficult to deal with, the man was a bit eccentric and loved to push buttons, but his son's lover needed to keep his cool anyway. "You're a grown man, Ichi. And you can always call if you need something." He said quietly, a small smile presenting it's self.

Ichigo's expression brightened and he looked up to see that his lover's smile had returned. The therapist nodded at Isshin and turned to leave. "I'll sign the papers, then. Ya can leave tomorrow" With a slightly creepy grin, the man left the room.

Grimmjow wrapped strong arms around Ichigo's waist, hoisting the smaller man into the air. Ichigo threw his arms around his lover's neck, laughing as the bluenette twirled him in a circle before setting him back down and hugging him close. The orange head gratefully returned the embrace, circling his arms around Grimm's trim waist, laying his head against his chest.

Shinji finally broke away from Nnoitra, racing over to Ichigo as soon as the bluenette released him. Squealing, the blond pulled his best friend into a quick hug before pulling him back to arms length. "Congrats, Ichi!"

"Thanks" Ichigo said, smiling. He allowed Shinji to lead him over to a small couch, where they sat down and he listened to his blond friend's excited chatter.

Nnoitra sauntered over to his blue haired friend as Shinji pulled the orange head away. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he came to stand beside his obviously over joyed buddy, where he was talking to Isshin about caring for Ichigo while he continued to recover.

Grimmjow turned to him, grin still plastered on his handsome face.

The lanky man rolled his eyes, but he too had a wide smile on his features, happy for his friend and the man's lover. "So, Shin wants me ta ask ya. S' ok if he throws a surprise 'welcome home' party at yer place fer the kid?"

Grimmjow snorted a laugh. "Damn straight he's getting a party"

Nnoitra let out a cackling laugh. "Good, coz he already got half a what he needs fer it." Nnoi glanced over at Shinji and Ichigo from the corner of his good eye, making sure they were still occupied. "We'll call everyone tanight an sneak inta yer place tomorrow to set up. Just tex me a list a anyone in specific ya want there and give me a heads up when yer leavin here."

The bluenette nodded to Nnoitra, his attention being pulled back to his lover and the blond. "Make sure you and the twins are there." He said to Isshin, still watching the two younger men.

Shinji had a wide, piano key grin partially hidden behind his hands, giggles escaping to fill the room. Ichigo had a slightly embarrassed, little smile tilting his lips, his face turning a brighter shade of red by the second. His eyes widened a little and his face reddened even further when he took notice of Grimmjow watching him.

"Gotta get goin, Ichi!" Shinji told his friend. He leaned over and gave Ichigo a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping up and skipping to where Nnoitra and Grimmjow stood. He threw the bluenette a wink and grabbed Nnoitra's hand, pulling the lanky man toward the door. "Le's go, Nnoi! We got things ta do!" He said cheerily as they left the room.

Grimmjow watched his friend as he was dragged out of the room by the boisterous little blond, then turned back to Ichigo, who was still a light shade of pink, thoroughly confused. A blue brow rose in a questioning manner as Grimmjow made his way back to Ichigo, standing in front of the couch where the smaller man sat. "What was that about?" He asked, small smile tilting his lips when Ichigo blushed anew. He extended his hand out to the orange head.

"Uhh...N...nothing..." He said, standing up, using the offered hand for help. Quickly changing the subject, he patted Grimmjow's muscled stomach lightly. "Hey. I've been awake for how long now? Were you just not planning to tell me about how badly you had gotten hurt?" He asked in a mock, scolding voice.

Grimmjow stuttered around a bit. "Well, ya know. It's really not a big deal..." He threw a quick glare at Isshin, who gave a sheepish smile and ducked out of the room, giving them some privacy and getting back to work.

"Bull shit it's not!" Ichigo snaked his arms around Grimmjow's waist, looking up at the taller man. "You should have told me."

The bluenette blew a light sigh, looking down into Ichi's chocolaty brown eyes. "Damn it.." He mumbled. "I..." He rolled his eyes a bit at how cheesy he sounded to himself before finishing his sentence. "I was too worried about you to care."

He braced himself for Ichigo to go off on him, scolding him for not saying anything about it or that his reasoning was stupid. But the scolding never came, instead, Ichigo melted against him, small smile tilting his full, pink lips.

Grimmjow curled his finger under his boyfriend's chin, lifting his head and capturing those lips with his own. He ran his tongue over Ichigo's bottom lip, wanting and needing to feel more; to taste more.

Ichigo smirked a little against his lips, before parting his own and giving Grimmjow access. Their tongues danced and caressed, this kiss growing heated before they finally broke apart, panting lightly.

They smiled, looking at each other, studying each other and so very glad to finally have each other back.

Turning, they slowly walked out the door and into the hall, Ichigo using Grimmjow's offered strength for support as they headed back toward his room.

It would have been quicker and easier to let the bluenette push him in a wheel chair, but they had time.

••••••

Nnoitra patted Pantera's head where she was cradled in his arms, as he followed Shinji around the large space of Grimmjow's apartment. They had decorated the sitting room and kitchen. A banner that read "Welcome Home!" in bright colors hung at the entrance of the hall way, it would be the first thing the berry would see when he got there.

The couches in the living room had been in the perfect place already, leaving the center of the room open, but sill having plenty of seating. Shinji had made him drag Grimm's big screen from where it sat and move it so that they could hook up the PS3 for anyone who wanted to play. He had also drug the other large, flat screen from his friend's bedroom, out into the sitting room, next to the one already out here. They would be able to duel screen if they had enough people, or have two different games going at once.

His phone beeped in his pocket and Nnoitra let Pan drop to the floor. The cat bound back into the sitting room to investigate as he pulled his cell out and opened it. _"__One__New__Message:__GRIMM__" _He opened the message to read it.

"Shin" He said, pulling the blond's attention. "They're leavin' soon, Grimm says they're gettin' the kid's shit ready now."

Shinji jumped up and down, clapping his hands excitedly as he left the kitchen. "Alright everyone!" He addressed the guests of the surprise party. "I'm ganna go get the party boy!"

Cheers erupted from around the large room. Nnoitra rolled his eye but walked Shinji to the door, telling him to be careful.

They had decided it would be less suspicious if the blond picked Ichigo up from the hospital. Grimmjow had demanded that someone with a car be there, saying he would not let Ichigo ride on the back of his motorcycle while he was still recovering.

Sending Isshin would have tipped the orange head that his father had taken the day off from the hospital, which could have ruined the surprise. In the end, the best and most unassuming choice had been Shinji.

••••••

A large, handsome smirk was stretched across Grimmjow's face. He held up Ichigo's jacket so that his lover could slip into it easier. He was finally taking his Ichi home, after everything that had happened...they could finally go home.

"Shinji should be here soon" He said, pulling his own jacket into place. He hefted the bag that held the few things Ichigo had at the hospital. Most of the things he had with him were get well presents from friends and family, he internally grimaced at the thought of having so many brightly colored stuffed animals sitting around his apartment.

Ichigo made a grab for the bag, not wanting Grimmjow to feel he had to carry it for him. The bluenette gave him a level look, adjusting the strap on his shoulder and grabbing his helmet, making it quite obvious that he wasn't going to give it up. Ichigo rolled his eyes, but smirked and hugged the man. "thanks" he whispered.

"You don't need to thank me." Grimmjow said, offering Ichigo his arm. "You sure you don't want a chair?"

Ichigo linked his arm with Grimmjow's offered one. "Very. I'm sick of those damn things."

The bluenette chuckled, fully understanding the feeling.

They made their way out of the room and started down the hall, Grimmjow carefully matching the pace Ichigo set for them.

They made their way to the elevator, passing a few nurses and patients on their way. A young woman in a nurses uniform practically raced toward them, shouting Grimmjow's name.

"Mr. Jaegerjaquez!" Grimmjow instinctively curled his lip at hearing his last name being shouted. He always was more fond of being called by his first name. The bluenette turned to face the woman.

He relaxed some when recognition dawned on him. The woman had been assigned as his personal nurse for his first visit here, when he had been brought back from the accident. He kind of wandered how she remembered his name.

"I knew it was you!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "Can't miss that hair anywhere" She gave a delighted smile and looked at Ichigo. "It's so good to see you finally getting out of here" Her smile faltered "Umm... Not that we don't like you!"

Ichigo smiled at the slightly flustered nurse. "It's alright, I know what you mean, miss"

The nurse gave them both another beaming smile. "I just wanted to congratulate you both" She said, then looked up at Grimmjow again, her smile changing a little. It was still a happy expression, but not so exuberant, it was more gentle and sincere. "You seem much happier now, Mr. Jaegerjaquez. It's good to see you smile again."

Grimmjow wrapped his arm around Ichigo's shoulders, pulling the orange haired man closer. He kissed Ichigo's temple, a happy smile playing at his lips. The shorter man smiled up at him, then looked back to the nurse, his face coloring ever so slightly.

The elevator dinged before the doors slid open. Grimmjow slipped his arm back through Ichigo's and they slowly walked into the elevator and turned back to face the doors.

The nurse stood on the other side, waving happily good bye. "You guys make such a cute couple! Take care you two!"

The bluenette chuckled. "Thanks" He said, giving a short wave as well. "And Thanks for taking care of my ass too" He added as the doors shut.

Ichigo looked up at his man, raising an orange brow in curiosity. "Who was that?" He asked.

Grimmjow chuckled again, the sound vibrating in his chest where Ichigo had pressed up against him. "She was my personal nurse after the accident."

"Oh" Between the bluenette and his father, Ichigo had finally been able to drag out most of the details about what had happened after Grimmjow finally woke up in the hospital. "Did she flirt with you?" He asked as the thought popped into his mind. He found that it kind of pissed him off to think about his boyfriend having a personal nurse. What woman wouldn't fall for the man, after all? And she would have been around Grimmjow constantly, no matter what he was doing... His train of worried thoughts was cut off.

"Nah. Pretty sure she was too scared of me at first." The bluenette replied as the doors to the elevator opened. They stepped out together and headed toward the large double doors at the front of the hospital. "By the time she got over her fear, she had figured out I was yours." Grimmjow added, a little quieter, his vision trained straight ahead of them, watching Shinji's car pull up in front of the doors.

Ichigo's steps faltered as he registered what Grimmjow said. He looked up at the bluenette, searching his face and trying to figure out if he had meant it to sound how it did. Even though the man still looked straight ahead of them, a small smile tilted his lips and Ichigo decided he had.

Shinji raced to the automatic doors from outside, stepping in front of the censors to make them slide open. He bowed low, dramatically swooping his arms out to the side like he was holding the door for the couple leaving the hospital, a large smile on his face.

Grimmjow snorted a bit at the blond's antics. Ichigo laughed at his side, playing along with his friend. "Why thank you, Mr. Hirako" He said happily, arm still linked with Grimmjow's.

After they passed by, Shinji came up to his friend's man's other side, snagging the strap of the bag and lifting it from his shoulder. Grimmjow let him have it. The blond tossed it in the back seat of his car before rounding the vehicle and opening the passenger door for Ichigo to climb in. "So we're goin' ta yer place, handsome?" He asked the bluenette. He really didn't need to ask, but he wanted the act to be as convincing as possible.

"Yeah, we can get the rest of his shit from your apartment later." Grimmjow said, watching as Ichigo gingerly lowered himself into the seat. "Let me pull my bike around and you can follow me."

"Sure thing!" Shinji replied, going back to the driver's side and climbing into his car. "Soooo... you guys have plans when ya get back ta his place?" Shinji asked his friend, wiggling his eye brows suggestively.

Ichigo blushed a light shade of red.

He had been thinking about what Shinji had mentioned the day before, at his therapy session. He had made a comment about how long it had been since he and Grimmjow had... been left alone together... "Uhm... Not that I know of?" He answered.

Shinji was right though. He almost felt bad for the bluenette when he really thought about it. It wasn't so bad for himself, Ichigo hadn't been awake for most of it, but Grimmjow had. And it had been months... Ichigo cringed at the thought, but smiled as another thought bubbled into his head. It would be worth it. He could feel himself getting aroused just by the thought of how great he and Grimmjow's night would be.

Grimmjow pulled his bike up beside the passenger side of Shinji's car. "What ya thinking about, Ichi?" He asked, raising a blue brow at the pink that dusted the bridge of Ichigo's nose.

Beside him, Shinji giggled and Ichigo decided he might as well play along, there was no sense in trying to hide it from these two. "Just how hot you look on a motorcycle"

A lewd grin split the bluenette's face in half, showing pearly white teeth as he zipped his black jacket up. "Don't worry, I'll give you a ride..." Grimmjow said, sliding his helmet over his head and revving the engine before pulling through the parking lot.

Shinji's giggles grew into laughter and Ichigo colored even darker, but he couldn't quite repress the shiver that Grimmjow's deep, rumbling voice had sent through his spine.

The car pulled out of the lot, following behind the blue crotch rocket.

••••••

Nnoitra glanced at his phone. "Alright, everyone" He addressed the small crowd in Grimmjow's apartment. There wasn't a crazy amount of people, but each guest was close to either Grimmjow, Ichigo or both of them. Shinji had invited a dozen or so of his and Ichigo's friends from the club and school, Isshin and the twins were there, plus Grimmjow and Nnoitra's close friends. Nnoitra had given Mr. Ukitake a call, but the lawyer had prior commitments. However, there was a small, wrapped box with Grimm and Ichigo's name on it from the man. Everyone in attendance had brought flowers, balloons and other gifts for Ichigo with them, the gifts were stacked on the kitchen table, waiting for the orange head to arrive.

"They're pullin' in now" Nnoi told everyone. An excited hush fell across the apartment, the silence only broken by Pantera's excited chirping.

Isshin leaned a little closer to the lanky man. "Do you think we should try to quiet the cat?" He asked. She had been fussing over all the people in her home since the first few that she didn't know started showing up.

"Nah. Grimm'll come up with something if the kid asks." He said, crossing his wiry arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter in the kitchen.

••••••

Grimmjow turned his bike into the parking lot of his apartment complex. He pulled it under the open air pavilion and killed the engine. Dismounting, he threw the cover over his motorcycle as Shinji pulled his car into the space next to him.

Ichigo slowly climbed from the car as Grimmjow made his way over to him. "Is it ok for Shin to come in for a while?" He asked, looking up at his lover.

"Of course it is." Grimmjow said, wrapping his arms around Ichigo and pulling him close. He gave the orange head a deep kiss. There was no teeth or tongue involved, but Ichigo felt himself melt against Grimmjow's strong chest at the emotions he could feel through the kiss.

The bluenette pulled away, smirking down at him, before taking his hand and leading Ichigo toward his apartment. Shinji followed behind him, bag thrown over his shoulder, a wide smile taking up the lower half of his features.

Ichigo frowned a bit as he slowly accented the few steps to Grimm's door step. "What's Pan so talkative over?" He asked, looking up at the bluenette. She could be heard chirping and meowing through the closed door.

Grimmjow gave a half hearted shrug. "She sounds excited to see you" He said, smiling when the orange haired man rolled his eyes but laughed all the same.

The bluenette pulled his keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door. He pulled Ichigo in front of him and swung the door open for the smaller man.

"**Welcome Home!"**

Ichigo jumped, stepping back a little to bump into his lover. Grimmjow laughed and scooped him up, turning side ways to walk through the door, Ichigo in his arms. Ichigo linked his arms around his man's thick neck, a happy and very surprised grin transforming his face. His wide, cocoa eyes took in the site of the apartment and all his friends. He pulled Grimmjow's face closer, kissing the man on the cheek before squirming a bit.

After being put back on his own feet, he turned and gave Shinji a hug, knowing this had to be his doing. "Thank you" He said to everyone in the room.

Pantera made a break for it, escaping Yuzu's entrapping arms and trotted over to her owner and Ichigo. She head butted the orange head's thigh, chirping happily. Ichigo reached down and patted her head.

His sisters ran over, Karin giving him a quick hug before she looked up and made a face at Grimmjow. The bluenette returned the favor, sticking his tongue out at her before an evil smile ripped across his face and he took a stalking step toward her. Karin laughed and took off through the apartment, threading her way through the crowd to escape her brother's boyfriend. Grimmjow looked to Ichigo, shrugging a bit, then took off after her.

Yuzu circled her little arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Ichi-nii!" She exclaimed. "I'm glad you can finally leave the doctor's!"

Ichigo laughed "Yeah, me too" He ruffled her hair when she held up her arms. "Sorry, Yuzu... I can't pick you up yet..." He hated that he wasn't fully recovered and strong enough yet, but he knew he would be again eventually.

The little girl deflated slightly before shrugging and letting another happy smile cross her features. "It's ok, Ichi-nii!" She bent slightly and circled her arms around Pantera's midsection, hoisting the large cat up. Pan huffed a sigh, her tail and back feet dragging the floor as Ichigo's sister carried her away, but she didn't struggle or try to get away and thankfully kept her claws sheathed.

Everyone took their turn coming up to Ichigo and giving him a hug and congratulating him. He took a seat in an arm chair, getting tired of standing and beginning to feel a little worn out. He sighed and gratefully accepted the glass of water and pain meds that were presented to him. Isshin smiled down at him before returning to the kitchen to help Yuzu cook for all the guests at Grimmjow's place.

As the smell of food permeated the air, a happy squeal broke over the din of the talking voices from near by. Ichigo looked up to see Grimmjow push through a few people, headed toward him. Karin was thrown over his shoulder, one of his big hands on her back to make sure she didn't fall. His other arm was circled around her legs, keeping her from kicking around too much.

She laughed and finally gave up on trying to get away, accepting her fate. Turning her head to look over her shoulder and in front of Grimmjow, she waved to Ichigo. "Ichi-nii! Are ya ganna help me or just sit there?" She asked.

"Hmmm..." Ichigo put on a thoughtful expression, looking up at Grimm. "I think I'll just sit here." He said, laughing when Karin growled and started struggling anew.

She kicked her little feet around, struggling in the bluenette's grip. Her laughing turned into a startled squeak when Grimmjow's grip loosened and she slid a little.

Brilliant, blue eyes widened a little and Grimmjow grunted, gritting his teeth when a little foot connected with a very sensitive area. "Watch it, kid" He said, tossing her up a little before carefully lowering her to the ground. After she scrambled away, he dropped to the ground in front of Ichigo, sitting cross legged, one hand protectively placed over his groin while he let out a long, controlled breath. "She's got a good kick." He said, resting his forehead on Ichigo's knee.

"She plays soccer all the time" Ichigo chuckled a bit and leaned forward, kissing the top of Grimmjow's head.

Grimmjow grunted in reply, not moving from where he was sitting. Ichigo watched Nnoitra sneak up behind the bluenette, but said nothing, desperately holding in his laughter as the lanky man pulled an ice cube from the ice pack in his hands and dropped it down the back of Grimm's shirt.

The bluenette jerked upright. "You fucker!" He yelled, pulling his shirt away from his body and letting the ice fall to the floor.

Nnoitra cackled like a hyena and dropped the ice pack into Grimmjow's lap. "The lil one said she thought she 'bagged ya in the nuts'." He said.

Grimmjow curled his lip, grabbing the cold bag of ice out of his lap. He was about to throw it at Nnoi, but his anger dissolved with Ichigo's laughter.

Finally, Yuzu came into the room, holding a plate of food and a can of coke. Karin trailed behind her. "Foods ready!" She announced, walking up to her brother. She handed him the plate and can before heading back into the kitchen.

Karin gave Grimmjow a sheepish smile and handed him a plate of food and can of beer, before hurrying to follow her twin. Grimmjow accepted the offering and turned so that his back was against the chair Ichigo sat in.

"Hey! Where's mine?" Nnoi asked, following after Karin.

"You can get your own!" She shot back, placing her hands on her hips and sticking her tongue out at him.

Grimmjow and Ichigo laughed as Nnoi disappeared into the kitchen.

After everyone had food and made themselves comfortable, Shinji made Nnoitra help him carry all the gifts into the sitting room and place them on the floor in front of Ichigo. The orange head looked a little worn out, not that anyone blamed him, so they didn't want to make him get up. When everything had been opened up, Ichigo thanked all his friends, a few people beginning to filter out of the apartment and head home.

••••••

Isshin sat down on the couch opposite of the one Shinji and Ichigo were sitting on. The twins curled up on the couch next to him, Yuzu dragging Pantera with her. The cat glared but allowed herself to be positioned on the small girls lap.

Shinji giggled, watching as Nnoitra got his ass handed to him the racing game he, Grimm, Ulquiorra and Starrk were playing on the PS3. The four men sat in the middle of the floor around the big screen. Laughter and a few muffled curses rang through out the room.

Nnoitra grumbled as he drove his vehicle across the finish line, coming in second place. "Oh, yeah." He grabbed something off the entertainment center and tossed it over his head, in the direction he heard Shinji and Ichigo talking and giggling.

Shinji let out a startled squeak, catching the object that had been flying toward his head. Looking at it, he quickly handed it to Ichigo, smiling a little before shooting a glare at the back of his lanky boyfriend's head.

Grimmjow glanced back at them, looking at the wrapped box in Ichigo's hand for a minute. He let his head tilt back, deep laughter ringing through the room as he recognized the shape and size of the object. He pushed Nnoitra a little, turning around so he could see Ichi's face when he finally figured out what it was.

Ichigo watched as grins spread across the faces of all four men sitting on the floor. He glanced at his father on the other couch. Isshin shrugged at him and he redirected his attention back to the package. Peeling a corner of the paper back, his face went red and threw the box back at Nnoi.

The lanky, raven haired man caught the box, falling backward as he laughed so hard a tear slid down his face. Everyone burst into laughter as Nnoitra pulled the rest of the paper off for Ichigo and placed the box of condoms and tube of strawberry scented lubricant back on the entertainment stand.

Ichigo hid his face in his hands, Shinji circling his shoulders with a slim arm. The orange head could feel his blond friend's barely concealed laughter shaking the man's slim frame.

••••••

Pantera looked up from her spot on the couch as a weight settled down next to her.

Ichigo ran his fingers through her soft fur and tilted his head to rest against the back of the couch, stifling a yawn as he did.

Grimmjow closed the door behind Shin and Nnoi, locking it and turning back to Ichigo. The party had been fun, but both were glad that everyone had finally left, giving them some time for themselves.

The bluenette settled on his knees in between Ichigo's legs, elbows resting on the cushions on either side of the orange head's thighs as he looked up at chocolate brown eyes. Grimmjow leaned forward, capturing petal soft lips with his own. The kiss was simple, chaste even. He pulled back looking into Ichigo's eyes before kissing him again.

Ichigo could see the fire simmering in swirling, blue depths and linked his arms around the back of Grimmjow's neck as the bluenette kissed him again. This time, the kiss grew deeper, more heated.

When a warm tongue ran along his bottom lip, Ichigo parted his lips, letting the appendage invade his mouth. Grimmjow eagerly swallowed the low moan that escaped his throat when the bluenette's growing arousal brushed against his leg through his jeans.

Grimmjow stood, braking the kiss and panting lightly. He stooped and picked Ichigo up, cradling the smaller man in his arms and headed down the hall.

Ichigo placed his hand on Grimmjow's broad chest, his eyes heavy lidded and swirling with arousal and need. "L.. Let's shower first..." He whispered, pressing his face into the crook of Grimmjow's neck. "I don't wanna smell like a hospital."

Grimmjow chuckled and pushed the bathroom door open, pushing it closed behind them with his foot. He let out a low, rumbling growl, almost a purr, when Ichigo began kissing a trail up the side of his neck. He gently set the smaller man down and leaned over to start the water so it could warm up.

The bluenette straightened, pulling his shirt over his head and helped Ichigo to do the same. His breath hitched slightly and he paused, letting warm fingers continue exploring and tracing down his bared chest and abdomen.

Ichigo studied Grimmjow's scared torso. Most of the marks were old, but some where new, fresh and still slightly pink. The smaller man ran his fingers over them, enjoying the feel of honed muscle dancing beneath taut, golden skin. The scars could never make Grimmjow any less gorgeous, less perfect.

Ichigo pressed open mouthed kisses to the larger man's collar bone. Warm, strong arms wrapped around him and Grimmjow let his head fall back as a groan worked it's way past his throat.

The orange head made a hot trail down the rest of Grimmjow's abdomen. Alternating between licking and kissing, he came to a stop at the waist of the bluenette's pants. Grimmjow's breathing had picked up, a slight whimper escaping and Ichi knew the bluenette was trying desperately to be patient for him. He knew he was driving his larger lover insane, but he couldn't help it and was fully enjoying himself.

He finally undid the button to Grimm's jeans, letting the pants fall to the cool, tile floor.

Grimmjow pulled his boxers down, releasing his straining erection before making short work of Ichigo's pants and boxers. He lifted the smaller man up, stepping into the tub, and gently set him back down under the hot spray of the shower.

Ichigo let his finger tips brush across Grimmjow's hard member. The bluenette leaned into his touch, grinding up against him gently. He licked a trail from the base of Ichigo's neck to his jaw before capturing his lips in a soul searing kiss. Breaking the kiss, he grabbed a bottle of shampoo and worked the lather into bright, orange spikes while Ichigo soaped Grimmjow's sculpted body, obviously enjoying what he was doing as he teased the bluenette with light touches while he washed him.

Their shower was filled with slow, sensual touches and caresses, and heated kisses.

When they were finally done, they climbed from the tub, the air around them steamy from the hot water. Grimmjow wrapped a fluffy, black towel around Ichigo's shoulders before grabbing another to scrub through his blue hair.

Ichigo dried himself as quickly and thoroughly as possible, before turning back to his lover. He needed to feel Grimmjow, to taste him, to be with him as completely as he was able. He ran his hands slowly down Grimmjow's broad back.

The bluenette froze for a second, closing his eyes and enjoying Ichigo's hands on him. He let his towel drop, spinning around so fast the smaller man was forced to take a step back, bringing him against the wall. Grimmjow pulled him into a heated kiss, his tongue instantly dominated Ichigo's. He brought his hands around Ichi's waist, then cupped his ass and hoisted him up.

The orange head locked his legs around Grimmjow's waist, moaning into the man's mouth as he felt the larger man's very prominent erection slide against him. Grimmjow pushed the door to the bathroom open, the force of it causing the door to bounce off the door stop and close behind them.

The bluenette carried him to the bed room, gently laying him down on the thick blanket. He climbed over top the orange head, hand reaching blindly for the bottle he kept in his night stand.

Ichigo wrapped long, slender fingers around Grimmjow's aching cock. The man gasped slightly, head falling forward to rest on Ichi's shoulder. He thrust into his hand a slowly, need clouding his already foggy mind. "I...Ichi..." He said in a breathy, slightly rough voice against Ichigo's heated skin. "I don't...wanna hurt you..."

Ichigo's breath hitched as Grimmjow's lips brushed against his over sensitive skin. "You...You wont," Grimmjow bit into the flesh of the juncture between his shoulder and neck. "Grimm–" Ichigo arched into the bluenette's solid body above him.

Grimmjow squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his fingers, before circling his index finger around Ichigo's entrance.

The orange head gasped below him. "Oh...god, Grimm...please..." He panted out, trying to push backward and make Grimmjow's fingers enter him.

Grimmjow hummed his approval and mapped the planes of Ichi's stomach with his tongue. He looked up at Ichi's flushed face, still licking and tasting, while he slowly pushed the first finger in.

Ichigo shut his eyes, moaning out his pleasure. After a moment, he wiggled his hips a bit, letting Grimmjow know he was ok while his brain tried to process words for him to speak. As Grimmjow shifted his finger, pulling out and pressing back in, the words died in his throat, leaving as another, deep moan.

The bluenette added a second finger, still struggling to be patient. The orange head gasped and mewled, thrusting his hips downward in an attempt to have those fingers buried deeper. "Damn... Ichi... you keep makin those sounds..." Grimmjow scissored his fingers a bit, then started thrusting them in and out of the smaller man. "and I'm not ganna be able to take it slow much longer."

Ichigo arched his back, pressing back against the fingers impaling him. "O...ok..." He moaned again, needing more. More movement, more heat, more Grimmjow. He couldn't get past his need to form full thoughts or sentences. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted how careful Grimmjow was trying to be with him.

"mnnn..." He panted, hands clawing at Grimmjow's strong shoulders, trying to pull him closer than he already was. "M...more..."

Grimmjow's dick twitched at the needy command and he couldn't help himself any longer. He pulled his fingers out and lubed up his cock. He lined himself up, then slowly pushed the head of his cock through the tight ring of muscle. He braced one hand on the pillow, beside Ichigo's head and looked down at him, his other hand gripping the orange head's slim hip.

Ichigo had his eyes squeezed shut, trying to adjust to the larger intrusion. Finally, after a few, still and quiet moments, he opened his clouded, darkened eyes to look up at the man above him. He wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck, pulling him down for a heated, passionate kiss.

Grimmjow slid his tongue into Ichi's mouth, moaning quietly, deep in his chest as he slid the rest of the way inside tight heat, fully sheathing himself. He paused again, not braking the kiss, but he couldn't wait for long and slowly pulled back again. Ichigo whimpered into the kiss and thrust back against Grimmjow, forcing his cock further into him again.

Grimmjow snapped his hips forward and Ichigo threw his head back, crying out as he finally broke the kiss. Grimmjow thrust again, picking up a steady pace. A deep rumble erupted from his throat as tight, silky heat milked his length.

Grimmjow felt Ichigo's tight walls spasm around him and he wrapped tanned fingers around the orange heads saluting cock. Ichigo gasped, tossing his head back and arching his body into the touch. He moved in time with Grimmjow's own thrusts and pumping hand. "I...Grimm– jow..." He moaned out his lover's name, feeling his release creep up on him. "I'm ganna..." White pulsed behind his eye lids, and he cried out as cum coated his and Grimmjow's bellies.

Above him, Grimmjow let a strangled moan escape his throat and thrust one more time as heated walls closed around his cock and pulled his own orgasm from him. The bluenette rode out the wave's of pleasure before finally pulling out and dropping down beside Ichigo.

The smaller man stifled a yawn and turned so he could lay his head on Grimmjow's slightly sweat slicked chest. He smiled when warm, strong arms wrapped around his naked torso, pulling him tight against the man beside him. It was a strong and solid embrace, one that promised to never let go. Ichigo wrapped an arm around the bigger man's waist, silently promising the same in return.

Grimmjow kissed the top of Ichigo's head, using one hand to pull the blanket up to their waists, before wrapping his arm back around a drifting Ichigo.

"I love you, Ichi" He whispered quietly, pressing his face into orange locks. "I love you" He repeated, his voice was soft and sincere, hardly braking the comfortable silence of the room. He felt his lover smile against his bare chest, and he too smiled as he allowed himself to drift off and follow Ichigo into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Happy ending, ne? <strong>

**I almost hate to end this story, it's kind of sad but I want to end it while it's still a good story and not drag it out until it sucks or I get sick of it. Hate it when others do that. I may or may not do a couple of one shots in this universe, just coz I love it so much, don't know tho.  
>I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading this and commenting along the way! I hope everyone keeps up with the other story I'm working on and any new ones that I start in the future! Anyway<strong>

**What do you guys think of my first yaoi fan fic? Did you enjoy the story? The ending? What did you like most about it?  
>Let me know!<strong>


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